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The Virtual Museum of Natural History
MISSION STATEMENT:
PURPOSE:
Robert George Sprackland,
Ph.D., VMNH President - Director. Dr. Sprackland is a professional
systematic zoologist with over two decades of museum, university, and related
experience. He has written
six books and two CD-ROMs on zoology, and is a frequent contributor to the
international herpetological magazines. As cofounder and chairman of Young
Forest Company, he pioneered the electronic model for identification keys and
data access that is now being used by the International CURATOR Project. Dr.
Sprackland holds BA (zoology) and MS (education) degrees from the University of
Kansas, MA (biology) from San José State University, and a Ph.D. (evolutionary
zoology) from the University College London. He is an elected Fellow of
the Linnean Society and the
Zoological Society of London,
and was appointed the first Research Associate (in zoology) at
the National Museums of Scotland.
Teri Ann Sprackland, VMNH Vice President - Director. She is an award-winning business journalist with two decades of journalism and editing experience. Ms. Sprackland has served as a reporter, editor or senior editor for Electronic Business, VAR Business, Energy User News, Knight-Ridder Wire Service, and Electronic Buyers' News. She currently writes a column on Internet technology for Nikkei Electronics Asia. Her academic projects have included editing doctoral theses at the University of London and researching the history of European biology resulting in a paper on the disposition of the Albert Seba collection in The Linnean. She is a graduate of the William Allen White School of Journalism at the University of Kansas, with a B.S.J. Teri is also a member of the Society for the Study of Herpetological Literature. Chip E. Miller, M.B.A., Ph.D.,
VMNH Secretary - Director. Dr. Miller is a professor of marketing at Drake
University, and has specialized in international marketing.
He earned a B.S. in biology from the University of
Kansas and retains an active interest in global natural history. Daniel J. Diessner, M.S., VMNH Treasurer - Director. Mr. Diessner is a Program Manager for Connexion by BoeingSM, which provides high-speed broadband Internet and data communications services to mobile platforms. Mr. Diessner invented the concept and original vision for the Virtual Museum of Natural History. He has led the development of the technological aspects of the CURATOR Project, and oversees the compiling and testing of the program. He holds B.S. degrees in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, and Engineering Physics from the University of Colorado, Boulder, and a master’s degree in Physics from the University of Washington. Geoffrey N. Swinney, Curatorial Advisor for the International CURATOR Project. Mr. Swinney is Curator of Fishes, Amphibians, and Reptiles at the National Museums of Scotland in Edinburgh, and one of the creators of the CURATOR Project concept. He has over two decade’s experience as a professional ichthyologist, with a knowledge that spans fisheries biology to taxonomy of obscure deep-water fishes. He has numerous scientific and popular publications to his credit, and is a member of the governing board of the British Shark Trust. Tina M. Gardner, MD, Medical Research expert for VMNH, is a family practice physician in New York with an interest in science and education. She is an authority on geriatrics, tribal and rural medicine. Artha Smith, B.A., has joined the VMNH as a species account contributor. Her special interest is marine mammals. Artha graduated from the College of Notre Dame in Belmont, CA, where she worked with Dr. Sprackland on "The CURATOR" sharks and rays project. She is married to a former Coast Guardsman and became the mother of baby girl in the summer of 2000. and King, the VMNH watchdog, errand runner, and all around mascot. King is a lively, one-dog pep club who makes sure we take time out for lunch, a bit of walking exercise, and the odd game of "go get it." He is fond of pizza and has a pet skink named Hector. ZOOLOGICAL ADVISORS Ilaiah Bigilale, B.Sc., Papua New Guinea
National Museum. TECHNOLOGY ADVISORS Jeff Berinda BUSINESS ADVISORS David A. Benson, C.P.A., Benson Accounting. People and institutions who have contributed materials used in this project as of January 2000, and to whom we extend our deepest thanks, include: LITERATURE CONTRIBUTIONS Lynette Abra, Australian Reptile Park. PHOTOGRAPHIC / ARTISTIC CONTRIBUTIONS The Australian Museum Department of
Ichthyology. AUTHOR / EDITORIAL CONTRIBUTIONS Ilaiah Bigilale, Papua New Guinea. |
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