Professional Profile

image for Miller, Gay

Miller, Gay

Professor, Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine
Professor, Veterinary Prog in Agr
Adjunct Professor, Agricultural and Consumer Economics
Inaugural Professor, College of Medicine
College of Veterinary Medicine
2001 South Lincoln Avenue
2635 Vet Med Basic Sciences Bldg.
M/C 002
Urbana, IL  61802

Education

  • PhD, The Ohio State University
  • DVM, The Ohio State University
  • MS, University of Missouri-Columbia
  • BS, The Ohio State University

Professional Certifications

  • Licensed to practice veterinary medicine - Illinois
  • Accredited veterinarian
  • ICS 100, ICS 200, and ICS 700 through FEMA

Research Interests

  • Research focuses on Foreign Animal Disease (FAD) prevention, preparedness, and response.  
  • Primary interests are on the economic implications of FAD outbreaks in food producing animals, how different prevention and response strategies can influence both the epidemiological and economic outcomes of FADs, and applications that could promote business continuity for industry while simultaneously improving overall outcomes for consumers/trading partners and FAD outbreak management.
  • Epidemiology and economics of food animal diseases/production generally.  

Links

show listBiography

  • Professor, Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine,; Adjunct Professor, Veterinary Clinical Medicine; Adjunct Professor, Agricultural and Consumer Economics, University of Illinois at Urbana/Champaign; Adjunct Professor, Veterinary Population Medicine Department, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Minnesota.
  • Extensive and diverse knowledge, skills, abilities and experience in academic veterinary practice, including expertise in food safety and public health, food animal production, epidemiology and economics.
  • Experience begins with being raised on a farm, extends into personal farm ownership, and includes years of teaching food safety, preventive medicine, public health, and economics to veterinary and graduate students in Colleges of Veterinary Medicine.
  • Substantial understanding of and work in large organizations
  • Over 30 years of working in research-focused academic veterinary public universities.
  • Over 10 years of working with USDA, APHIS, VS on cooperative agreements.
  • Leadership in difficult circumstances
  • Was Associate Dean for Academic and Student Affairs at the beginning of implementing new Americans with Disabilities Act legislation and at the beginning of implementing a national veterinary medical admissions process.
  • Ability to achieve consensus among stakeholders
  • Chaired University of Illinois, Campus Budget Oversight Committee during two years under serious budgetary circumstances; responsible for advising the Provost on campus budgetary distributions of over $1 Billion.
  • Previous Chair (2017-2019; and 2011-2015) of Senate Committee on Educational Policy; responsible for evaluation of all changes to degree programs, requirements for degrees, grading regulations, experimental educational programs, and financial implications of these. 
  • Past Chair of Senate Executive Committee (2015-2017)
  • UIUC campus representative to the Illinois Board of Higher Education, Faculty Advisory Council (2016-present). 
  • Convincing abilities to garner stakeholder support
  • Developed NVS liaison with poultry industries to provide needed input on National Veterinary Stockpile materials and enlisted industry cooperation and resources for demonstrations and training

show listTeaching Statement

Learning requires and results from an application of PPP - preparation, participation, and perspiration. My job is to inspire students to want to learn and to facilitate their learning by example and by sharing with them my knowledge and how I solve problems. I do that by being prepared myself, by encouraging students to participate with me in gaining knowledge, and by the hard work - perspiration - that is sometimes needed to truly grasp and command a subject.

show listCourses Taught

  • Basic Epidemiology
  • Contemporary topics in epidemiology
  • Tropical Epidemiology
  • Public health and food safety
  • Outbreak Investigation
  • Foreign Animal Disease Preparedness and Response for Illinois
  • Clinical Procedures and Problem Solving
  • Infectious Diseases in Veterinary Medicine
  • Seminar in Production/Population Medicine
  • Independent Studies
  • Food Animal Health Economics

show listResearch Biography

Over 30 years of experience in veterinary medicine, economics, and education. I work at the nexus of epidemiology and economics, bringing an important economic perspective to problem solving in disease control and prevention.

show listSelected Publications

  • Miller, G.Y., Gale, S.B., Eshelman, C.E., Well, S.J. Emergency Vaccination Use in a Modelled Foot-and-Mouth Disease Outbreak in Minnesota; Sci. Tech. Off. Int. Epiz., 2015, 34 (3), 729–740.
  • Gale, S.B., Miller, G.Y., Eshelman, C.E., Wells, S.J. Epidemic Simulation of a Foot-and-Mouth Disease Outbreak in Minnesota; Sci. Tech. Off. Int. Epiz., 2015, 34 (3), 895-905.
  • Miller, G.Y., Ming, J., Williams, I. Gorvett, R. Probability of Foot and Mouth Disease from Live Animal Importation into the United States. Revue Scientifique et Technique de l’Office International des Epizootie, 2012, 31(3):777-787.
  • Miller, G.Y., Parent, K.B. The Economic Impact of High Consequence Zoonotic Pathogens: Why Preparing for these is a Wicked Problem. Journal of Reviews on Global Economics 2012, 1:47-61.
  • Parent, K.B., Miller, G.Y., Hullinger, P. Triggers for foot and mouth disease vaccination in the United States. Revue Scientifique et Technique de l’Office International des Epizootie, 2011, 30(30):789-796.
  • Umber Jamie K; Miller Gay Y; Hueston William D, Indemnity payments in foreign animal disease eradication campaigns in the United States. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 2010;236(7):742-50, 2010.
  • Singer Randall S; Cox Louis A; Dickson James S; Hurd H Scott; Phillips Ian; Miller Gay Y, Modeling the relationship between food animal health and human foodborne illness. Preventive veterinary medicine 2007;79(2-4):186-203, 2007.
  • Miller Gay Y; McNamara Paul E; Singer Randall S, Stakeholder position paper: economist's perspectives on antibiotic use in animals. Preventive veterinary medicine 2006;73(2-3):163-8, 2006.  
  • Huang, H., Miller, G.Y.; Citizen Complaints, Regulatory Violations, and their Implications for Swine Operations in Illinois. Review of Agricultural Economics, 2006, 28(1):89-110.
  • Miller, G.Y., Liu, X., McNamara, P.E., Bush, E.H.; Farm-level Impacts of Banning Growth-promoting Antibiotics Use in U.S. Pig Grower/Finishing Operations. Journal of Agribusiness, 2005, 23(2):147-162.

show listCurrent Projects

  • National Animal Disease Preparedness and Response Program (NADPRP), Animal Disease Training and Exercises
  • National Emergency Response, Preparedness Planning and Asset Management for Foreign Animal Disease

show listPast Projects

  • Food safety - umbrella focus.
  • Antibiotic use in swine production and the implications for productivity/economics of pork production.
  • I enjoy working with interdisciplinary teams of faculty members to solve important problems.

show listGrants

  • National Animal Disease Preparedness and Response Program (NADPRP), Animal Disease Training and Exercises Across the Veterinary Educational Spectrum Two (AD-TEAVES Two). Principal Investigator (shared status with Yvette Johnson). 2022-2024. $494,930, funded by USDA, APHIS, VS.  
  • National Animal Disease Preparedness and Response Program (NADPRP), Animal Disease Training and Exercises Across the Veterinary Educational Spectrum (AD-TEAVES). Principal Investigator (shared status with Yvette Johnson). 2020-2023. $429,835, funded by USDA, APHIS, VS.   
  • National Institutes of Health: Novel Tools for Exploring Human/Animal Interface of COVID-19; 2021-2025.  $2,762,684.   Co-Investigator.  
  • USDA TX Cattle Fever Tick Eradication Taskforce; Two projects; Subject Matter Expert, 2018-2021.   From USDA and TX Animal Health Commission.  Travel expenses paid by TAHC. 
  • Emerging Issues and Research on Harmful Cyanobacterial Algal Blooms Impact on Populations and Ecosystems. Principal Investigator. 2014-2015. University of Illinois Focal Grant Proposal. $14,980.
  • Illinois-Njala Global Health Partnership. Co-Principal Investigator. 2014-2015. University of Illinois Focal Grant Proposal. $15,000.
  • Animal Emergency Management Exercises. Zoo Ready US: National Emergency Preparedness and Functional Exercises of FAD Outbreak Response in Zoos and Aquariums. Co-Investigator. 2013–2014. USDA APHIS. $143,000.
  • Building the Capacity of Illinois’ Food Safety System to Protect Public Health in an Emergency Response Project Research Strategy. Co-Investigator. 2013-2014. DHS Flow-through Funds to IDPH. $81,469.

show listHonors and Awards

  • Outstanding Faculty Leadership Award from the Office of the Provost, the highest faculty accolade for professional service that has advanced the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign toward its mission. 2021.  Given to one UIUC faculty member each year. 
  • University of Illinois Presidential Executive Leadership Program Fellow, 2015-2016.
  • List of Teachers Ranked as Excellent by their Students; most recent for PATH 527: Spring 2021, Fall 2020, Fall 2018.  Also for PATH 645: Spring 2015 and Spring 2018
  • AAAS (American Association for the Advancement of Science) Science and Technology Policy Fellowship, 2006-2007 - Placement, USDA, APHIS, VS, NCEHEM, National Veterinary Stockpile Project
  • Delta Sigma Omicron Distinguished Teaching Award, 1996

show listSelected Service Activities

  • AVMA Committee on Disaster and Emergency Issues, 2021-2024.
  • UIUC Chancellor’s Search Committee for University Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and Provost, 2022-2023.
  • Carle Illinois College of Medicine Appointments, Promotions and Tenure Committee, 2017-2024.
  • UIUC Senate Executive Committee, 2011-2024; Chair 2015-2017
  • Illinois Board of Higher Education Faculty Advisory Council (IBHE-FAC) 2017-2024.
  • UIUC Carle Illinois College of Medicine Dean Search Committee, 2021
  • UIUC Senate Committee on Education Policy, 2008-2015, and 2017-2019.  Chair, 2011-2015, and 2017-2019.
  • University Senates Conference – 2013-2019.
  • USC Academic Affairs and Research Committee – 2013 – 2019, Chair 2014-2016; Chair 2018-2019.   

show listProfessional Affiliations

  • American Veterinary Medical Association
  • American Association of Swine Veterinarians
  • Illinois State Veterinary Medical Association
  • United States Animal Health Association