WINONA LAKE – Grace College recently announced plans to break ground on the Dr. Dane A. Miller Science Complex at its Winona Lake campus this spring. Now, with a gift of $1 million from K21 Health Foundation, a total of $6.5 million has been raised for this project.
The K21 gift was given specifically to fund office, meeting and laboratory space for Grace College’s Center for Lakes & Streams. K21’s CEO and President Rich Haddad notes the great synergy between the two organizations.
“K21 is dedicated to supporting and improving the human health in our county, and the Center for Lakes & Streams is a critical resource and expert in ensuring our lakes remain a great asset for our community. Their work has strong connections to local health through its various research studies, rapid response to issues and collaborative projects,” he said.
Center for Lakes & Streams Director Dr. Nate Bosch is excited about the specially designed and dedicated space that will allow the center to increase its impact in the community and provide even stronger applicable learning opportunities for Grace students.
“The Dr. Dane A. Miller Science Complex puts the ‘center’ in the Center for Lakes & Streams,” explains Bosch. “It gives us the space we need to be a better launching point for local water research and K-12 educational programs, and it creates a hub for local lake and stream research.”
“One of the great benefits of the Center for Lakes and Streams getting enhanced work space is the potential of bringing the lab work in-house. Currently they must send most of the lab testing out to other organizations, but in the future, they could expand to do the work directly, which would be more cost effective and improve the turnaround time for test results,” Haddad added.
The new science complex will renovate and expand the Cooley Science Center, which has served the Department of Science and Mathematics since 1978 and the Center for Lakes & Streams since its founding in 2007. The entire complex will include contemporary and upgraded labs and classrooms, and feature a central suite for lake and stream research, offices and multi-use space. In addition to K21, substantial gifts have been given by Zimmer Biomet and Dr. Dane and Mary Louise Miller.
“Our board has seen the enormous contributions that the Center has made to the health of our community, and this significant commitment is evidence of how strongly we believe the Center needs to remain in our community for future generations,” Haddad concluded.
“For nearly ten years, the Center for Lakes & Streams has proven its value and relevance to our community through hard work and serious research. I am deeply grateful to K21 and prior donors for their confidence in the Center and their generous investments in its future,” said Dr. Bill Katip, president of Grace College.
Architectural plans and construction bids are now underway for the Dr. Dane A. Miller Science Complex. A conceptual rendering of the Center for Lakes & Streams space in the future Science Complex is attached. Those interested in the work of the Center for Lakes & Streams or the Dr. Dane A. Miller Science Complex may call 574-372-5100 ext. 6445.
The Center for Lakes & Streams at Grace College conducts applicable research, engages and educates residents, and collaborates with other organizations in efforts to make the lakes and streams of Kosciusko County cleaner. For more information or to support their efforts, visit lakes.grace.edu.
