291 Millennium - A Marquis Who’s Who Magazine SCIENCES, PHARMACEUTICALS AND BIOTECHNOLOGY While studying toward his undergraduate degree, Dr. Robert I. Merker fell in love with the discipline of microbiology. He earned a Bachelor of Science in microbiology from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in 1973. Later on, he attended the University of California Davis, where he received a PhD in microbiology in 1987. Throughout the course of his career, Dr. Merker spent significant time with the United States Food and Drug Administration in a myriad of capacities. Alongside conducting research on microbiology for various universities, he served the Food and Drug Administration as the lead of the Biotechnology Team until his formal retirement in 2020. Earlier, he was a supervisory consumer safety officer in the Division of Petition Review for three years. Since 2020, Dr. Merker has excelled as an independent consultant in the food and biotechnology industries. Additionally, he is in training to be a volunteer at the Outbreak Exhibition at the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History. Notably, Dr. Merker received an accolade from the State Department for his work conducted on a multiagency database, and he also earned the Outstanding Career Service Award from the Food and Drug Administration. He has maintained affiliation with the American Society for Microbiology to remain abreast of advancing developments in the field. Dr. Merker attributes his success to his ability to continually learn and expand upon his breadth of knowledge. Considering himself a lifelong learner, he is especially proud of serving as a microbiology reviewer on the First Submission on Probiotics at the Food and Drug Administration, which aided in adding microbes to formula for infants. Additionally, he has contributed to various consultancy programs on genetically engineered plants, such as potatoes and apples. Looking toward the future, Dr. Merker intends to continue consulting and providing his wealth of knowledge to others. Married to his wife Lorraine for many years, he has three children: Elliot, Jonathan and Shana. Millennium Magazine Featured Listee ROBERT I. MERKER, PHD INDEPENDENT CONSULTANT Alexandria, VA
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