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A. Keith Miles
As an African-American child growing up in downtown Washington, D.C., Keith Miles was surrounded by asphalt and buildings. He did not know any scientists, but he developed an interest in science when he was young, mostly from watching nature programs on television. Science, he says, showed him "that there's another world besides Washington, D.C." Although he was tempted by neighborhood gangs, and, by his own account, was "not a model child," Keith stayed in school, something for which he credits his mother.With his interest in nature and animals, Keith went to Howard University and earned a bachelor's degree in zoology. He then went on to Oregon State University to earn a master's degree in wildlife biology and a Ph.D. in wildlife ecology. He became particularly interested in the effects of pollution on the environment. As much as science showed him a new world, environmental science proved to Keith that the lives of humans, plants, and animals are all connected.
Today, Keith spends almost all his time outside - a life much different from his childhood. He is a research biologist for the National Biological Survey, and works mostly in San Francisco Bay. He hikes through wetlands, scuba dives into the Bay, and inspects the area by boat. He is an expert on contamination and the effects of pollution on the food chain. He travels to other parts of the world to do research with other scientists on projects such as the investigation in the Bering Sea, shown in the BreakThrough program.
Keith is a member of several ecological and environmental organizations and has published many papers documenting his research. After spending his childhood in the city, Keith now is a true outdoorsman. When he isn't working, he enjoys scuba diving, sailing, backpacking, and cycling.
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