Outstanding recent alumnus
August 15, 2017
Alexander L. Miller (’06 B.S. fisheries science, ’06 B.S. environmental policy and planning, ’09 M.S. agricultural and applied economics) received this year’s Outstanding Recent Alumni Award in recognition of his early career accomplishments.
Miller had been interested in marine resources from an early age and was involved with the Virginia Junior Academy of Science. Since graduating from Virginia Tech, he has worked in the fields of marine economics, global seafood markets, and fisheries management. He is currently vice president of business development at Trace Register LLC in Seattle, which he describes as being a different world than academia or government.
“My understanding of the economic and business side of the seafood industry started at Virginia Tech,” Miller shared. “As an undergraduate fisheries science major, I worked with the Smithsonian Institution in the Canadian Maritime Provinces and observed the impact the collapsed cod fishery had on the region.” He finds that the knowledge he gained through these experiences is still useful day to day.
Miller has had many chances to “invent the future,” including working with his colleagues and Whole Foods Market to develop a first-of-its-kind tuna sourcing policy that allows the food retailer to trace, monitor, and more efficiently manage the canned tuna it sells. “I enjoy working with companies and global seafood supply chains to create an even better world and future,” he said.