136 Millennium - A Marquis Who’s Who Magazine MEDICINE, HEALTH CARE AND WELLNESS ROBERT ERIC MILLER DIRECTOR EMERITUS St. Louis Zoo WildCare Institute Union, MO Dr. Robert Eric Miller is the director emeritus of the St. Louis Zoo WildCare Institute, where he spent nearly four decades as a veterinarian and executive. He is proud to have dedicated his career to conservation and animal welfare, and he is known for making significant contributions to his specialty. His interest in veterinary medicine was sparked by his childhood admiration of his cousin, a veterinarian, and he enjoyed the support of his family in pursuing his dreams. This early passion for working with animals deepened into a dedication to wildlife conservation after reading the seminal ecology book “Silent Spring,” and he conducted research into the effects of paper mill runoff on local ponds while still in high school, years before pollution mitigation was widespread. An alumnus of The Ohio State University, Dr. Miller graduated summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Science in zoology in 1975 and was awarded a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, with honors, in 1979. He began his career in 1981 as a resident veterinarian at the St. Louis Zoo, where he spent the next two years building hands-on experience in caring for and treating animals at the facility. In 1983, he advanced to become an associate veterinarian and assumed more responsibilities throughout the zoo’s clinic and in animal care. Dr. Miller would go on to spend the next 21 years in clinical veterinary roles at the St. Louis Zoo, rising to become its head veterinarian and overseeing the entire veterinary staff. He became known for his specialization in rhinoceros medicine and conducted extensive research on rhino conservation throughout his career with the St. Louis Zoo. Dr. Miller has contributed to more than 60 journal articles and served as senior editor of four separate editions of “Fowler’s Zoo and Wild Animal Medicine,” including the upcoming seventh edition. Among his research breakthroughs was identifying the widespread incidence of hemolytic anemia in black rhinos, observing the condition in up to 25% of the studied population. This work was conducted in collaboration with high-profile institutions, including the University of California
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