Gail Miller approaches the podium during announcements at chapel. Her silver hair
is in a short bob, her face is creased with deep smile lines, and she鈥檚 wearing purple.
鈥淚t鈥檚 Tuesday, and Tuesday is鈥︹�� she says, then points to the audience.
鈥淣ewsday!鈥� the college students shout.
鈥淚n news from the universe,鈥� she begins, moving through the latest headlines from
space then zooming in鈥o world politics, to national news, to Nebraska news, and finally,
to the York community--where 鈥榥ews鈥� might include an anecdote from the police blotter.
鈥淪omeone called to report a paper bag blowing down their street on Monday,鈥� she states
in a matter-of-fact tone. 鈥淪o, watch out for that.鈥�
鈥楢 Light in the Room鈥�
Gail and her husband, Dr. Ray Miller, came to York in 1982. Ray joined the faculty
full-time as a professor of chemistry and Gail taught adjunct for several years while
finishing a master鈥檚 degree from Ball State University. She held a variety of staff
positions on campus beginning in 1983, started teaching full-time in 1990 and retired
in 2020, a few years after Ray had hung up his lab apron and goggles.
From genetics to zoology, Miller taught with infectious joy. She loved her subject,
whether she was teaching general science to freshmen or advanced topics to upperclassmen
with pre-med ambitions. She had a gift for helping her students love it, too.
Miller was kind, generous, and always there for her students--but she was no pushover.
鈥淪he would give you the world, but she wouldn鈥檛 give you an inch,鈥� said Kim (Dreher)
Hoyt 鈥�02, a physician鈥檚 assistant in Grand Junction, Colo. As a teacher, Miller wanted
her students to succeed, and the only path to success included a lot of hard work.
鈥淪he was not there to sugarcoat anything. She was firm but loving. She was there to
help you grow.鈥�
Dr. Ray was Hoyt鈥檚 academic and professional mentor, but Gail was who she aspired
to be like. 鈥淪he modeled what it was like to be a professional woman of science, a
great mom, engaged at church, and gracious to all,鈥� said Hoyt.
Brian Gilchriest 鈥�01 said without Miller, he never would have become a science teacher.
鈥淕ail gave me the confidence to believe that I could teach science. I didn鈥檛 think
I was smart enough. She helped change my perspective and guide me through it. She
was a huge inspiration and I loved her classes. She never took it easy on me. She
expected me to do the work and learn the material, but she was always there to put
her hand on my back and guide me through it.鈥�
The Millers were recognized with numerous awards throughout their careers. Ray was
presented with the Dale R. Larsen Teacher of Achievement Award in 2001 and Gail received
the same award in 2008. The award is given annually to a full-time faculty member
who has made outstanding contributions to 菠萝视频. The Millers were also recognized
in 2018 with 菠萝视频鈥檚 first Distinguished Award in Academics and the L. Ray
and Gail Miller Endowment for the Sciences was established in their honor at that
time. As a fitting culmination, Gail was honored with faculty emerita status in 2021.
In 2014, Gail was recognized for her service to the Nebraska Veterinary Medicine Board
with an honorary decree from Governor Heineman naming her an Admiral in the Great
Navy of the State of Nebraska.
She didn鈥檛 let it go to her head.
No matter how many accolades and honorary titles she received, Miller was always an
easy person to know. She was centered and authentic, sure of who she was, and gave
others the confidence to be their authentic self around her.
鈥淢rs. Miller was a light in the room,鈥� recalled Sara (Lincoln) Pella 鈥�13, a teacher
in Exeter, Nebraska. 鈥淪he always greeted you with a smile and her laugh was contagious.
She truly loved what she did and cared about those in her classroom and wanted them
to succeed. She wanted to inspire them to do great things.鈥�
Miller was the queen of applied science. From frequent field trips across Nebraska
to in-class experiments and labs, her classes were less about lecture and more about
experiential learning. 鈥淪he opened my eyes to how you can take any part of a curriculum
and make it fun and hands-on,鈥� said Pella, who credits Miller with making her a better
educator.
Caroline Seilstad 鈥�16 agreed. 鈥淪he brought the joy to science education,鈥� she said.
鈥淪he was knowledgeable and hilarious. She was great at getting everyone engaged and
valuing each individual鈥檚 input. She always kept students on their toes.鈥� She was
not a stick-to-the-book kind of teacher. 鈥淪he鈥檇 say, 鈥榟ere鈥檚 the textbook, here are
all the facts, but it鈥檚 not going to be helpful in the real world unless you can apply
it.鈥� She gave her students freedom to explore in projects, allowing them to follow
their interests and make the material their own.
Today, Seilstad is a graduate research assistant working on cancer research with the
University of Nebraska Medical Center. Miller was a big part of her decision to pursue
a career in science. 鈥淕ail showed me that you could be an amazing person, a person
who could help others and have a positive impact, and also be involved in science,鈥�
she said.
When Caroline was exploring her options after college, Miller told her, 鈥淭he world
needs people who believe in Christ, who understand the power of God, who care about
others, in the field of science.鈥� She firmly believed that the world needed more Christian
scientists. Seilstad is just one of many students who responded to her call.
Mentoring and Ministry
It was the little things that made Miller so special, like the way her face would
light up when someone stopped by her office, even if she was busy. Though she must
have had her hands full with work and family obligations, she often found time to
serve as a social club sponsor. She and Ray were big fans of Panther athletics and
she would always remember to ask student-athletes how their game was if she missed
seeing it in person. She had an understated, wry sense of humor, and could find the
laugh in most any situation.
Visiting her office as a student was 鈥渃omplete joy,鈥� said Dr. Aaron Fletcher 鈥�02. For many years, Gail and Ray鈥檚 offices in Sack Hall were separated by a small anteroom that featured a table, chairs, and a couch--plus plenty of sugary snacks. 鈥淵ou would go there for candy, laughs and fellowship. Everyone was always hanging out there鈥or a while, it seemed like the science department had its own student life center. Her office was a hub. People wanted to be near her,鈥� he said. 鈥淪he poured into you.鈥�
Fletcher loved when melt-away soft mints would appear in the candy jars. It was a
favorite of his, and of Miller鈥檚. 鈥淪he always got those for me. That鈥檚 what she would
say,鈥� he recalled.
Beyond candy, Fletcher shared much with the Millers. The couple became important professional
mentors as he pursued graduate degrees in science and started his own company, Bios
Partners, a life sciences venture firm.
The Millers helped him craft a personal life motto: 鈥淭o glorify God through excellence
in the sciences.鈥� It was a motto that they exemplified, said Fletcher, who admired
Gail and Ray鈥檚 relationship and the model they provided of a Christian marriage as
well as professional partnership. 鈥淭hey were such an example to me of what a godly
husband and wife could look like. They dedicated their lives to a specific mission.鈥�
The Millers gave their students confidence to be rigorous scientists as well as committed
Christians. Miller didn鈥檛 need to argue for the existence of God. She embodied it,
said Fletcher. 鈥淗er style was a genuine love for God that came out in her kindness,
her care. She showed her students that you can be very intelligent and scientific
and still very much be a person who loves Jesus.鈥�
鈥淪he was so good about bridging the gap between faith and science,鈥� said Emily (Eckert)
Tandy 鈥�02. 鈥淪o many people believe that they are separate and can鈥檛 coexist. Gail
showed her students that logic and reason and science weren鈥檛 in opposition to faith.
In fact, they aren鈥檛 opposites at all but bound together, amplifying each other. The
more you learn and the more complicated you realize things are, the more beautifully
created it all seems.鈥�
Life and Legacy
Outside of her work and students, Miller鈥檚 great joy was her family. She was endlessly proud of her two children, Les 鈥�00 and Lynn 鈥�02, their spouses Pam (Rathe) 鈥�01 and Jay Powers 鈥�04, and especially her grandchildren Madelynn, Hayley, Chase, and Audrey. She was a patient and loving spouse to Ray for 49 years. Even after decades of working together, with side-by-side offices and labs separated by a hallway, they still enjoyed each other鈥檚 company. Gail鈥檚 presence will be missed by many, but none more so than by Ray, her constant companion and longtime colleague.
Memorials can be sent to for the L. Ray and Gail Miller Endowment for the Sciences.