Miller Recognized for Vision, Leadership

Former Wisconsin Sea Grant Advisory Services Director Allen H. Miller was honored with the William Q. Wick Award for “Visionary Career Leadership through Programming” by the Assembly of Sea Grant Extension Program Leaders.

The award recognizes Miller for his efforts in educating the public about subjects ranging from nonindigenous invasive species to modern land information systems. He is particularly respected for his pioneering contributions to global change education.

According to Anders W. Andren, director of the UW Sea Grant Institute, Miller has been a strong force at the local, regional and national levels.

"Al was responsible for providing strong leadership for Marine Advisory Services,” Andren said. “He was a visionary leader who started a number of important national education initiatives, including land information systems and global change.”

Miller developed an educational program for Wisconsin on the controversial and confusing subject of global change, combining scientific knowledge with a practical educational curriculum in a series of workshops held in locations across the state. He educated hundreds of teachers, naturalists and state agency personnel through these workshops.

At the national level, he and seven Sea Grant colleagues developed a Global Change Education manual, which was distributed across the country. In his position on the National Sea Grant Global Change Education Committee, he helped write the first strategic plan for global change education for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. These efforts were important in positioning Sea Grant as a respected source of global change information in the coastal and Great Lakes states.

Miller, who was a research fellow at the Land Information and Computer Graphics Facility at UW-Madison, also pioneered the use of modern land information systems and methods in Wisconsin. These included the use of Geographic Information Systems to manage the Great Lakes coastal zone.

Miller also was instrumental in launching a successful education and outreach effort concerning nonindigenous species in the Great Lakes region. He developed innovative materials and monitoring methods for zebra mussels and other invasive species. Among these efforts was the Sea Grant nonindigenous species (SGNIS) Web site, created with Brian Miller of Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant, which contains peer-reviewed research and outreach information.

Miller joined UW Sea Grant Institute as coordinator of Advisory Services in 1984 and served as assistant director for Advisory Services from 1991 until his retirement in 2001.

- Jill D. Ladwig

Last updated 18 April 2002 by Karl
All contents copyright 2001 University of Wisconsin Sea Grant Institute

http://www.seagrant.wisc.edu/Communications/news/LD_stories/2002/Miller.html