Michael Anthony Miller died unexpectedly on December 26, 2018. What he gave his friends and loved ones spills so far beyond what we can express in a few paragraphs. Michael is originally from Baton Rouge, Louisiana. He graduated from Emory University where he met his love and future wife, Elizabeth Turnipseed. He earned his Ph.D in biochemistry from the University of California-Irvine and completed postdoctoral training at Vanderbilt University before marrying Elizabeth and moving to Birmingham. He had a wonderful and productive research career in the Department of Cell, Integrative and Developmental Biology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). He understood biology to be a vast, unexplored territory, full of solutions to the world's problems and taught his students that finding those solutions required curiosity, persistence, and rigor. He derived great pleasure from his own independent investigation and from training future scientists. In 2016, he was honored to receive the Alma B. Maxwell-UAHSF Endowed Chair in Biomedical Research in the School of Medicine. While achieving a distinguished career in cell and developmental biology research, Michael remained committed to the other activities he loved, including cycling, travel, and his beloved motorcycles. He and Elizabeth cycled thousands of miles a year across the U.S. and internationally. It was a wonderful way to see the world, and introduced him to a group of extraordinary friends. Throughout his life, relationships with family and friends were central. He treasured annual weekends with his core group from college. Those men will always be his brothers. In recent years, he has loved the weekly rides and fellowship with friends in the cycling community in Birmingham. Motorcycle trips with his brother-in-law, Christopher, were a great source of enjoyment and he looked forward to planning the next one. Laughter and exploration were dominant themes in all of these friendships. Relationships with his colleagues and trainees were also incredibly important. He remained in close contact with many of his former students as a mentor and a friend. His commitment to family cannot be overemphasized. He and Elizabeth shared a beautiful and unique connection. His gentle heart and brilliant mind provided the foundation for an incredible, treasured partnership.
Michael is survived by his wife, Elizabeth, his mother, Pamela Miller (Robert Broussard) of Baton Rouge, LA, his aunt, Judy Rushlow, and three cousins, Kevin Rushlow, Jaye Dunn, and Andi Rushlow and their wonderful children, all in Louisiana.
In recognition of Michael's desire to encourage the study of science and provide opportunities to students from rural areas to pursue those studies, a scholarship fund in his name has been established. The family requests that in lieu of flowers, a gift be made to the Dr. Michael A. Miller Scholarship at UAB. This can be accomplished in two ways – by mail: UAB Gift Records, AB 1230, Dr. Michael Miller Scholarship, 1720 2nd Avenue South, Birmingham, AL 35294-0112; or online: www.uab.edu/give/now. Select "I don't see my fund" and designate Dr. Michael Miller Scholarship in the open field. A reception in celebration of Michael's life will be held Wednesday, January 2nd, from 4pm to 6pm at The Clubhouse on Highland located at 2908 Highland Avenue South, Birmingham, AL 35205.
We miss you, Crash. I love you, Michael.
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