Richard Bender 

Fellow 

He is an 8th grade science teacher at Thomas Jefferson Middle School, Valparaiso. He was named a Fellow for his contributions over 33 years as a teacher, specifically for his achievements in National Science Olympiad competition. This teacher has led his school to “sustained and unprecedented success” in National Science Olympiad competition at the local, regional, state and national levels. In fact, he ranked second overall in the nation as the most “winningest” Science Olympiad teacher. On Nov. 1, 2006, his story was featured on the front page of the Wall Street Journal. He was cited for helping students excel in the discovery, creativity and innovation resulting from the application of scientific principles. In many ways, he is the “Johnny Wooden” of Science Olympiad for his passion for practice among students. He also has been called a “magical” coach by Olympiad’s president and co-founder, Gerard Putz. This award consists of a plaque and a $500 cash gift from the Center of Workforce Innovations.