John Miller

Originally from Pennsylvania, John Miller came to Alaska while serving in the Army during the Korean War. Having been trained in electronics, after his military discharge he worked as an engineer for Fairbanks' radio station KFAR. Given his interest in engineering, in 1958 he got a job as an electronics technician at the Geophysical Institute at the University of Alaska Fairbanks in Fairbanks, Alaska. During his career with the Geophysical Institute, he helped with research on the ionosphere, especially related to harmonic relationships and echos, with development of using radar and satellite imagery and Synthetic Aperature Radar (SAR) for sea ice and other ground-based geophysical research, and with various field engineering projects. John researched fields from aerospace applications of remote-sensing technology to resource management and assessment of geophysical hazards in the Arctic and Subarctic. He retired from the Geophysical Institute in 1993 with the title of Emeritus Adjunct Applications Engineer. In 2000, he participated in the afternoon storytelling session at the 50th Anniversary Celebration of the Geophysical Institute at the University of Alaska Fairbanks and shared some of his memories of working there in the early years.