Most visitors to the UGA Marine Education Center and Aquarium gravitate towards the vibrant, charismatic marine life in the display tanks, never thinking about the pumps, pipes and filters that keep things running behind the scenes. Steve Miller, however, is instantly drawn to those systems. In fact, he often finds, and fixes, problems before anyone else does.
Miller began volunteering at the aquarium, part of UGA Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant, in 2022. Since then, he’s logged more than 1,100 hours of service. With an engineering degree from Lehigh University, he spent most of his career building things, from designing gammadetection instruments to engineering medical devices for tech and research industries. His passion for engineering has led to several enhancements at the aquarium, streamlining workflow while cutting costs.
“I like to stay busy,” he said with a smile, after showing off a new plastic fastener he installed on the protein skimmers that remove organic waste from fish tanks. The 15 skimmers must be cleaned every two to three days, and Miller estimates that his modification saves a few minutes per tank. For the small team responsible for keeping the aquarium operational, every minute matters.
Miller has retrofitted the valves on flow-through tanks, rewired electrical equipment, serviced microscopes used in K-12 education programs, and helped troubleshoot technical issues with exhibits. While he works mostly behind the scenes, he makes a point to engage with visitors whenever he can.
“When I’m doing feedings, if anybody is out there, I come out and explain what I’m doing beforehand,” he said. “They all really appreciate it.”
For Miller, the reward isn’t only in solving engineering challenges. It is also in the people he serves alongside. He works closely with a core group of regular volunteers who jokingly call themselves “the three Steves and two Johns,” who recently collected driftwood along the aquarium’s nature trail to enhance the turtle pond in front of the facility.
“It’s a good place to work. The people are great,” Miller said. “Although I don’t see all of the interactions with people, I see enough of them to know that what we do, in the back, keeping it running, makes a big difference.”
“Steve is a major part of our aquarium team,” said Lisa Kovalanchik, curator at Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant. “He truly understands the work that we do and is passionate about helping us be successful, whether that’s improving aquarium operations or enhancing educational experiences.”
The aquarium’s volunteer corps shares that commitment, bringing real skills and purpose that help lighten the load for staff. In return, volunteers enjoy unique opportunities, from trawls to barrier island explorations, that deepen their understanding of Georgia’s coast and make the work especially meaningful.
Engineering a better tomorrow
Miller’s connection to the aquarium began when he attended a presentation about a Virtual Wetland Exploration curriculum developed by Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant educators. The program uses virtual reality to bring Georgia’s coastal wetlands into classrooms across the state. Inspired by the project, he immediately wrote a check that enabled educators to purchase 10 additional VR sets, doubling the number available to classrooms.
Since then, Miller and his wife, Peggy, have continued to support the aquarium through volunteer work and philanthropy.
Their ongoing gifts have funded a new digital microscope and wall mounted monitors for teaching labs, a refrigerator and freezer for the animal husbandry team, trawl doors for the R/V Sea Dawg, and materials to build new oyster tables for Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant’s annual Oyster Roast for a Reason fundraising event.
That spirit of generosity continued as the Millers considered how they could support the aquarium well into the future.
Through their estate plans, the Millers have made a lasting commitment to Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant that will strengthen aquarium operations and environmental education for years to come.
Their planned gift includes two endowed funds. One will bolster behind-the-scenes husbandry work, ensuring the animals and life-support systems continue to thrive, and the second will expand outward facing educational efforts by supporting paid student internships that enhance public programming and train future marine science professionals.
Because of the Millers’ planned gift, the aquarium will continue to thrive, with reliable systems, healthy animals and ongoing opportunities for future professionals to grow in marine science, conservation, education and beyond.
“I’ve been able to help improve this place for several years, and I hope to be doing that for a number more years,” said Miller.
