Dear Werner Schulz Nomination Committee:

We are honored to recommend Neil Milburn from our prestigious science department for the Werner Schulz Award. As principal, I have the great privilege of working closely with our distinguished science faculty and see first hand how Mr. Milburn interacts with our Plano West students and faculty. David Carroll, science department chair elicits, “If you were to observe Neil’s classroom, you would see instruction and classroom management on par with that of a master teacher. He is a natural-born teacher.” His sense of humor keeps the students engaged and excited about learning, bringing relevance to the classroom by using a wealth of examples from his past experiences. He asks questions of himself and his students, encouraging them to never accept “that’s just the way things are.” As I learned more about the science department, I continued to hear about the quality of Mr. Milburn’s teaching through his students' science fair accomplishments, Plano ISD district news and accolades of his students at state, national and international events. Mr. Milburn has a thirst for knowledge, a genuine passion and fascination for all things STEM; and his students eagerly reach out to him for project preparation advice, recommendations, prestigious summer lab/workshop listings and intellectual science curiosity questions as they apply to real applications.

Who is Mr. Milburn? As our resident “rocket/engineer/scientist,” he explains that his career is a culmination of many stages of his life. He does not hesitate to share his knowledge with colleagues or students, and he sponsors our award-winning LASER and science fair programs. He acts as chaperone and coach for all extra-curricular events such as Texas Junior Academy of Science, National Academy of Science, Texas Junior Science and Humanities Symposium, National Junior Science and Humanities Symposium, International Sustainable World (Engineering Energy Environment) Project, Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF), Regeneron Science Talent Search and Broadcom MASTERS. He is also the founder of our aerospace and rocketry club.

Neil Milburn has been in the education field since 2003, teaching AP chemistry and IB physics, and he is now in his fourth year as one of three AP chemistry teachers at Plano West Senior High. His chemistry colleague Nicole Lyssy explains, “Working with Mr. Milburn is often the highlight of my day. At the beginning, I was afraid he would judge me for all the information I lacked; how often I was wrong; and look down upon my lack of worldly experience. Instead he is always kind, patient and an excellent source of information regarding a broad range of fields. He encourages me each day by being the calm amidst the storm. I admire that he has gone back to school to work on a Maters/Ph.D. in education in order to continue to improve his teaching. He brings perspective to the classroom. He pushes the students to recognize that learning has to be a choice and teams of people have to learn to work together.”

Rahul Pentaparthi, student at Plano West, when asked about Mr. Milburn says, “Most science teachers in my experience seem to be interested in teaching concepts, using examples limited to their field of experience. Mr. Milburn, however, has such a passion for science as a whole, coupled with a broad range of experience, that he embraces cross-disciplinary connections, be it teaching us bout chemical bonding using the concepts of electrostatic physics or molecular polarity using examples of fat and water soluble vitamins. This unique teaching ability has gone a long way in increasing my passion for a career in science.”

Joseph Kim also explains that his mentor sparked his passion through his creative explanation in class, which accumulated into”…an enriching experience that has bolstered my interest in STEM. He often relates the concepts we learn in class to real applications, engaging many others to actively try to understand the various chemical concepts. The best men of science are those who inspire curiosity and passion for future generations of scientists. And I believe Mr. Milburn is one of those men.”

The distinction of the Werner Schulz award describes the attributes and characteristics that Mr. Milburn exemplifies. This recognition would be a well deserved tribute to the time and energy he gives to his students and the profession. He knows just how much to push his students to help them discover themselves and develop that curiosity to want to know why things are the way they are. He is the definition of what educators would like to call a “lifelong learner,” with his very impressive background work resume. He currently is completing a masters in teaching science and mathematics at UTD, and I would not be surprised to see a Ph.D. in physics on the horizon.

He also continues to work as a flight safety officer at Exos Aerospace Systems & Technologies and is a Principal of IGM Aerospace Consulting. It is a pleasure to work with a professional of such high caliber, whose hard work and dedication produces amazing results. The administration team agrees and would like to thank Neil for giving his time, expertise and constant support to our students and our staff. Principal Kathy King says, “I consider Neil a superb teacher whose students have consistently responded positively to his successful classroom strategies. It is my honor and privilege to support such an outstanding educator for all the right reasons!” Carl Herrmann, associate principal of curriculum and instruction says, “Mr. Milburn is an incredible teacher that has inspired our students to propel their learning to the highest level. Our students’ passionate interest in science, related collegiate studies, and professional aspirations are a true testament to Mr. Milburn’s dedication and desire to prepare the next generation of scientists.” His abilities and contributions are an integral part of our continued success at Plano West.

Sincerely,

Kathy King, Principal

Carl Herrmann, Associate Principal

Michael Cruz, Assistant Principal

April 16, 2017

Werner Schulz Nomination Committee:

It is with my great pleasure and excitement that I write this recommendation for Mr. Milburn, my AP chemistry teacher and science fair sponsor at Plano West Senior High School.

Mr. Milburn was my AP chemistry teacher last year, when I was a junior. Not only was Mr. Milburn’s quality of instructions outstanding, his lessons were planned well and his assignments were always promptly returned. Furthermore, Mr. Milburn really stood out to me as a teacher who sought to cultivate students’ interest and understanding of science through hands-on experiments. From comprehending thermodynamics and spectrometry with creative labs to making fudge, Mr. Milburn was always able to make chemistry one of my most engaging and most-looked forward to classes of the day. Thorough and precise, Mr. Milburn always had appropriate, innovatively-designed experiments ready to demonstrate complex chemistry concepts such as redox reactions. During the year, we performed more than 30 experiments. What made his class even more engaging was Mr. Milburn’s focus on providing tangible, real-world applications for the subject matter we were learning. I found it rather amazing that chemistry has biological implications, as in our body’s buffers, as well as applications in medicine, physics and even engineering. His stories and real-world chemistry examples connected him to his students and made simple, as well as advanced lessons, inviting for learning.

However, even before Mr. Milburn was my chemistry teacher, I was able to witness his unconditional support for students interested in science, regardless if they are at the school he teaches. When I was a sophomore in a different school, Mr. Milburn was willing to recommend and contact a researcher he knew in order to help me find a lab mentor under which I could conduct my own research. This event proved to be profound and started my three-year research project. Without his initial guidance and support, I would not have been about to achieve all the successes I had at international - Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF)and International Sustainable World Energy Engineering Environment Project Olympiad); national (Regeneron Science Talent Search, Siemens); and state science competitions. I have seen his personal commitment to scientific research and discovery numerous times over the past few years when he has introduce various students to professional research opportunities. I am forever grateful for Mr. Milburn’s help.

Outside of the classroom, Mr. Milburn also devotes countless hours to promoting science among students. Apart from supporting individual students and facilitating their entry into science fairs, Mr. Milburn is also the science fair sponsor at Plano West. Mr. Milburn has willingly undertaken this role and has provided excellent support to students, including myself, at science fair competitions. For instance, Mr. Milburn has taught me how to articulate scientific visions and nurture them into hypotheses, experiments and ultimately new inventions. He has directed me to prestigious research opportunities; he has reviewed and critiqued my research papers; and he has coached me in oral presentations. Additionally, despite being a full-time teacher, Mr. Milburn has always answered any of my emails and questions promptly providing much needed guidance. Most impressively, he dedicates his personal time to chaperoning students at science fair competitions. Last year, at the International Science Fair in Phoenix, Mr. Milburn accompanied me to a foreign school at which I took my AP French exam. He is very motivating, encouraging and accommodating, and his engagement can easily be seen in his success at science fair competitions.

Mr. Milburn has a genuine passion for anything STEM, with an obvious fascination with chemistry. However, his admirable knowledge in every scientific field has truly been an asset inside and outside the classroom. During class, Mr. Milburn was able to effectively connect chemistry to all the other scientific disciplines, helping students think outside the bounds of one scientific area. Outside the classroom, Mr. Milburn’s broad range of knowledge has proven to be extremely useful when coaching and mentoring students in science fair. It is Mr. Milburn’s tenet to cultivate great scientists, a goal that is multifaceted. On one level, he encourages life-long learning and discovery, the basic qualities of any scientist or engineer. On a more fundamental level, he cultivates the new generation of critical thinkers, who are familiar with the scientific method. Mr. Milburn accomplishes this latter goal through his self-initiated unit on pseudoscience in which we learned the useful skills of distinguishing fact from fiction, evaluating scientific claims and forming the right question to ask.

As an educator and an individual profoundly interested in chemistry, I strongly recommend Mr. Milburn for this award. His scientific engagement and enthusiasm has been unwavering and his students are always his number one priority. I can easily say Mr. Milburn is one of my favorite teachers, and I have him to thank for inspiring my passion for chemistry and my research aspirations.

Nicole Wojtania
Plano West Senior High

Margaret Kaczmarska-Wojtania

To the Nominating Committee:

It is my pleasure to write this letter of reference for Mr. Milburn, my daughter’s AP chemistry teacher and science fair mentor.

I have known Mr. Milburn for four years, and I got to know him quite well during numerous science competitions that Mr. Milburn attended with his students from regional, state, national and international competitions.

Each year, Mr. Milburn accompanies his students to at least six different science fair competitions that are held around the Dallas area, in-state, as well as out-of-state. Not only does he spend his personal time chaperoning students to these various events, but he is also superb in looking after the students. As a parent, I feel completely at ease entrusting my daughter to Mr. Milburn, even on weeklong trips that take place out of state. I feel that she and all the children are very well looked after. Although safety is important, I really want to highlight Mr. Milburn’s leadership skills, his devotion to STEM, and his promotion of science among students. I am very impressed and amazed with how engaged Mr. Milburn is in his students’ science competitions and projects. He coaches his students, helps them to ensure that the scientific method is applied appropriately, mentors them in the project presentation, and gives them extremely useful tips and pointers on how to best showcase their projects. On many occasions, I have seen Mr. Milburn working individually with each student to help him or her improve the presentation before the science fair competition. He genuinely wants his students to excel, and the kids absolutely feel that. He is always there for his students, providing unrelenting support and encouragement.

Science is Mr. Milburn’s passion, and he is genuinely interested in exposing his students to STEM and helping them in any way possible – even if they are not yet his own. When Mr. Milburn barely knew my daughter (she was not even a student at Plano West Senior High where he was teaching), he graciously helped her with finding a research mentor at a local university. Thanks to Mr. Milburn, she began her three-year-long research that not only allowed her to receive many awards and recognitions, including first place at the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF), but also helped her mature, grow as a person, and develop a deep interest in interdisciplinary science. She is now planning to study biomedical engineering at one of the top schools in the nation, and she understands and fully appreciates the power of interdisciplinary research and its potential in modern society.

Mr. Milburn contributes to the successes of his students in science fair competitions. This year different students that he works with have won two grand prizes at the Dallas Regional Fair, a grand prize at the Texas State Science Fair, three students qualified for ISWEEP, two students qualified for AJAS, two for AJAHS and two qualified for the most prestigious science fair competition ISEF. This is only one instance among many other years. I have seen similar success in 2016, 2015 and 2014, which is a true testimony of Mr. Milburn’s contribution to his students’ achievements.

The students’ successes at these prestigious competitions reflect Mr. Milburn’s qualities as a superb and enthusiastic promoter of science. He actively encourages his students to embrace science, but also helps them learn other skills, such as presentation and leadership skills that prepare them for their adult careers.

I was also fortunate enough to see glimpses of Mr. Milburn’s excellent teaching methods. During the double block, yearlong AP chemistry class, my daughter always had up-to-date information about her lesson plan, assignments and supplementary materials at her fingertips. Even more impressive was the fact that multiple times, Mr. Milburn had answered her questions after midnight or before 5 a.m.

Mr. Milburn’s classes must have been extremely engaging, given my daughter was always excited for her chemistry class. She always looked forward to the experiments, and it was great to see how Mr. Milburn translated chemistry principals into everyday applications. I find it very creative to teach solutions and concentration principles via a fudge-making lab – it truly makes the science alive.

I am hopeful that I was able to convey the extraordinary qualities Mr. Milburn possesses as an educator. He truly goes the extra mile (figuratively and literally) in teaching chemistry and promoting STEM among his students. It is my wish as a parent that all of our educators are of Mr. Milburn’s caliber.

Margaret Kaczmarska-Wojtania