Gifts & Gratitude

Ed Miller Builds a Bridge Linking Faculty Across Generations

Dr. Edward Miller '64 amassed a career full of professional achievements leading to his status as Dean/CEO Emeritus of Johns Hopkins Medicine. Still, success and time have only strengthened his cherished memories of Ohio Wesleyan professors such as Howard Maxwell and Libby Reed, who taught him valuable academic and life lessons.

"Dr. Maxwell was the most influential person for me at OWU," Miller says. "His course was tough. There was a quiz every week and two bluebooks. When we got our tests back, we could go to his office, disagree with the score, and argue our case. We probably learned more in that time than in the classroom."

Miller appreciates how Ohio Wesleyan professors pushed him to grow. He recalls Maxwell's valuable mentorship regarding medical school. "When I asked Dr. Maxwell what courses I should take to prepare me for medical school, I told him more chemistry and physics," Miller says. "Dr. Maxwell said no, 'music appreciation, report writing, and Shakespeare with Dr. Spencer.'"

In the report writing course that Maxwell suggested, Miller flourished under the red pen of Libby Reed. "My first report came back with more red ink than blue ink," he says. "I was rambling, and she taught me to be more precise and use fewer words."

After graduation, Miller remained friends with Leona and Robert Maxwell and Libby and John Reed until their deaths.

Miller's close connections with Ohio Wesleyan professors inspired him to make significant contributions to support current OWU faculty. He supports the Libuse L. Reed Endowed Professorship, which honors her demanding teaching style and the values she instilled in her students. Miller also created the Howard N. Maxwell Memorial Fund, which benefits the Department of Physics, and the Dr. Edward D. Miller '64 Endowment, which provides unrestricted funding to support OWU's science faculty.

Chelsea Vadnie, assistant professor in the department of psychology, was the first recipient of the Ed Miller Endowment, which supported Vadnie in combination with her sabbatical. "The scholarly leave allowed me to contribute to ongoing work in Dr. Colleen McClung's lab at the University of Pittsburgh that is centered on developing therapeutics and interventions that target circadian rhythms to prevent or treat diseases and disorders," she says.

Vadnie also worked on other projects in the McClung lab centered on understanding the role of biological rhythms in brain physiology and behavior relevant to psychiatric disorders. OWU student Callie Kampe '25 carried out summer research with her in the lab.

"There is always a balancing act between academic advancement and time to teach and mentor," Miller says. "A faculty member advances when they become an expert in a specific area. That only occurs through hard work and persistence. A student who sees that dedication to research is impressed. If the student can be part of that research, it may change the future path of that student."

After the Miller Endowment reached a principal balance of $500,000, it became The Dr. Edward D. Miller '64 Endowment for Faculty Excellence to support OWU's faculty who go above and beyond the educator role. As Ohio Wesleyan continues to seek to recruit and retain the very best faculty, these funds provide OWU with the opportunity to recognize and reward the very best of its teacherscholars.

– Ericka Kurtz