Congressional Record: Visclosky Honors Society of Innovators of Northwest Indiana

Click here to view a PDF of Congressman Visclosky's remarks for the Congressional Record.

In honor of the Society of Innovators of Northwest Indiana's 8th Annual "Spirit of Innovation" Induction Ceremony, Congressman Visclosky entered the following into the Congressional Record on December 11, 2012:

Mr. Speaker:  It is with great sincerity and admiration that I offer congratulations to Ivy Tech Community College Northwest and its regional partners, who recently celebrated their 8th Annual “Spirit of Innovation” Induction Ceremony.  At the ceremony, thirty individuals and teams were inducted as members of the 2012-2013 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, including:  Eugene S. Smotkin, Ph.D., Pearl Prince, Olga Petryszyn, Gus Olympidis, and Neal H. Haskell, Ph.D.  Additionally, Gregg A. VanDusseldorp Sr. was honored as the Gerald I. Lamkin Fellow for Innovation and Service, a special recognition named for the president of Ivy Tech Community College of Indiana.  Also honored were the Chanute Prize team recipients, the Center for Innovation through Visualization and Simulation of Purdue University Calumet and “S-in motion,” ArcelorMittal Global R&D Center, East Chicago.  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 during a prestigious event that took place at Horseshoe Casino in Hammond, Indiana, on October 18, 2012.

The Society of Innovators of Northwest Indiana was created by Chancellor J. Guadalupe Valtierra of 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.

These five Fellows selected by the Society of Innovators were chosen for their extraordinary innovative leadership and the impact of their accomplishments throughout the community of Northwest Indiana and the world.  Eugene S. Smotkin, Ph.D. is a professor of chemistry at Northwestern University and the chief executive officer of NuVant Systems, Incorporated, in Crown Point.  NuVant develops and distributes electrochemical equipment and materials for the research and development, manufacturing, and educational markets.  Pearl Prince is the principal of Frankie Woods McCullough Girls Academy in Gary, the city’s first public all girls school for kindergarten through seventh-grade students.  Pearl developed and implemented an educational model that has led the academy to become an award winning elementary school for students from low income areas.  Olga Petryszyn was named one of the top hosta plant hybridizers in the United States.  Since 1993, she has registered twenty-four hosta plants with twenty-two varieties commercialized.  In 2012, the world famous “Niagara Falls” variety was honored by the American Hosta Society.  Gus Olympidis, founder and chief executive officer of Family Express, developed a nationally recognized business model that measures up to global competitors.  The business model includes the “Living Brand” for customer service, innovative logistics, and state-of-the-art technology linking the 57 Family Express stores to their headquarters in Valparaiso.  Neal H. Haskell, Ph.D., Saint Joseph College, Rensselaer, is one of the foremost scientists of forensic entomology in the world.  Using his expertise of the life cycles of insects to determine time and location of death in criminal cases, Dr. Haskell is a pioneer in his field.  He has assisted the FBI, Indiana State Police, New York State Police, Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and Canada’s Office of the Chief Coroner, among others, with criminal cases across the country and throughout the world.

I am also honored to represent Gregg A. VanDusseldorp Sr., who was recognized as the Gerald I. Lamkin Fellow for Innovation and Service.  Gregg is the president of Omnitech Systems, Incorporated in Valparaiso, Indiana.  Gregg founded this medical device company that has developed products to assist with surgeries associated with urology and gynecology.  He currently holds eight patents for products that are used by surgeons worldwide.

Finally, the recipients of the Chanute Prize for Team Innovation should be commended for their contributions.  The Center for Innovation through Visualization and Simulation of Purdue University Calumet has been able to save more than $30 million dollars for local business, industry, and communities by implementing its modeling, visualization, and simulation technologies.  “S-in motion” is a revolutionary concept of designing lighter and safer automobiles utilizing new steel products created with the assistance of the ArcelorMittal Global R&D Center in East Chicago.  This innovative program works to create steel for automobiles that reduces the weight of vehicles in order to meet higher fuel standards and to guarantee the use of steel in automobiles in the future.     

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.