2023 Alumni Medalist
Dr. R. Eric Miller ’75, ’79 DVM
R. Eric Miller ’75, ’79 DVM, has dedicated his life to saving animal species from extinction and providing the best veterinary medicine possible in zoos and for wildlife. He credits Ohio State’s College of Arts and Sciences and College of Veterinary Medicine for his knowledge base.
Recognized internationally for his work, Miller brought together the American and European zoo veterinary associations to produce a joint publication, and he collaborates with experts all over the world to publish Zoo and Wild Animal Medicine, the preeminent textbook on animal medicine. In the field, he has teamed with more than 100 organizations from Madagascar to Missouri to protect endangered species and assist the communities where they live.
Question
What is one of your most significant accomplishments?
I helped create the WildCare Institute at the St. Louis Zoo, where we work on conservation programs all over the world. The need for conservation is overwhelming. Extinction rates are hundreds, if not 1,000 times faster, than when the dinosaurs went. Conservation is not just about saving animals; it’s about people, too. The WildCare Institute is the leading educator of girls in several Kenyan and Madagascar communities, where we support girls’ schools and clubs.
Question
What’s the greatest challenge you’ve faced?
Getting into vet school and pursuing my field. Working in the zoo field is extremely competitive, so I decided to get as much experience as I could as a student. Ohio State allowed me to take time off to work at zoos in Los Angeles and Washington D.C., and I also worked at the Bronx Zoo. After graduation, I landed a residency at the St. Louis Zoo, where I was fortunate to work for 36 years.
Another challenge I faced was in Angola, where we had to close a zoo because the animals were in bad shape. We planned to send the tigers to another zoo, but the mayor wanted to let the tigers go into the countryside. It would’ve been a biological disaster since tigers don’t naturally occur in Africa. I gave him all the scientific reasons why it would not work, and he wouldn’t listen. Finally, I told him the tigers would eat his constituents, and then he finally agreed with me.
Question
What can people do to help preserve our natural world?
Become politically involved. We need more bipartisan support. Remember, the Endangered Specials Act, the Clean Water and Air acts and the Environmental Protection Agency were all formed with bipartisan support. We also need to tout our successes more. Bald eagles are now relatively common because the federal government banned DDT. That law made a difference.
“Dr. Miller has had such a positive and profound influence on zoo and wild animal medicine and conservation worldwide, it would be difficult to find a professional in this field who not benefited from his invaluable contributions.”
This is the single highest honor bestowed by The Ohio State University Alumni Association, Inc. It is presented to alumni who have gained national or international distinction as outstanding representatives of their chosen fields or professions, bringing extraordinary credit to the university and significant benefit to humankind.