GLIN==> IL-IN Sea Grant News: New Director Will Build on Past Successes

[Irene Miles <miles@uiuc.edu>]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
 June 26, 2007
 

New Director Will Build on Past IISG Successes
 
URBANA - In its 25th anniversary year, Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant
(IISG) is pleased to announce that Dr. Brian Miller is the program's new
director. Brian Miller brings a background rich in Sea Grant and
extension to the program--over the past 13 years, he has been IISG's
outreach coordinator and associate director. 
 
Miller also has a long history with Purdue University, apart from Sea
Grant. There, he was awarded his doctorate in natural resource social
sciences. Miller served as a Purdue University Extension wildlife
specialist for 17 years and, for the past two years, as the extension
coordinator for the Department of Forestry and Natural Resources. 
 
During his tenure with Sea Grant, Miller has played a key role in
initiating a number of successful programs and partnerships. Through
Miller's efforts IISG has expanded its partnership with the U.S. EPA
Great Lakes National Program Office to address broader Great Lakes
ecosystem issues such as monitoring and remediation of contaminants.
Miller also played a pivotal role in the signing of the historic
Wingspread Tri-State Accord, an agreement by four regional planning
agencies to address economic and environmental concerns across
traditional boundaries. And, Miller was instrumental in the development
of the Planning with POWER project, which is fostering smart growth along
Indiana's coast.
 
"The most rewarding part of my job with Sea Grant has been working
with staff members in our program and around the network to develop
projects that have impact for our clients," said Miller. "I'd
like to build upon the past and make the program even more effective. If
we develop strong ties with industry, federal agencies, and other
organizations involved in Great Lakes resources, the program has
potential to have a substantial impact in the region."
 
"I am delighted to have an experienced leader in the Sea Grant
directorship," said Dennis Campion, University of Illinois associate
dean of extension and outreach. IISG is administered through University
of Illinois Extension. "Under Dr. Brian Miller's leadership, we look
forward to enhancing our strong working relationship between the two
universities and with key leaders in the Great Lakes."
 
"I believe Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant is positioned for
growth," said Miller. "Stakeholders around the Tri-State Accord
area, which is one of the nation's fastest growing coastal regions, are
ready to engage in programs that apply university discoveries to achieve
a sustainable future."

--30--
 

The Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant College Program is one of 30 National Sea
Grant College Programs. Created by Congress in 1966, Sea Grant combines
university, government, business and industry expertise to address
coastal and Great Lakes needs. Funding is provided by the National
Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), U.S. Department of Commerce,
the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and Purdue University at
West Lafayette, Indiana.

Irene Miles
Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant
386 NSRC
1101 W. Peabody Dr.
Urbana, Il 61801
(217) 333-8055
FAX (217) 333-8046