USGS Newsroom

Career History and Highlights: Mr. Miller has worked for the USGS since 1973 and had been the Senior Advisor for Water Quality from 1997 until his recent appointment as Acting Associate Director for Geology. He has held senior level positions including Chief of the National Water Quality Assessment Program (1995 to 2003) and Chief of the Office of Water Quality (2002 to present). During his 21 years in USGS Headquarters, he has chaired multiple USGS committees and worked diligently with other federal agencies facilitating their access and use of USGS data and information.

Many of these efforts have been recognized in his awards: the USGS Excellence in Leadership Award (2008); the Department of Interior Distinguished Service (2006), Meritorious Service (2000), and Superior Service Awards (1992); the Meritorious Presidential Rank Award (2005); the Joint Agency Principals Award for Clean Water Action Plan from Interior, Defense, Agriculture, USEPA, and Commerce (2000); and the EPA Assistant Administrator Clean Water Leadership Award (1999).

Prior to coming to USGS Headquarters in 1987, Mr. Miller worked for USGS in his native Oregon. He was a principal scientist for many years on water quality projects all over the state of Oregon, specializing in assessments of storm water runoff influencing water quality conditions. He also emphasized computer modeling of river systems, especially focusing on dissolved oxygen conditions to meet state water-quality regulations, and statistical analysis of precipitation deposition chemistry.

Education: Mr. Miller is a graduate of Portland State University with a bachelor's of science in mathematics and engineering, and his post graduate studies were in mathematics, statistics, engineering, and systems science.