New Board Member Brings International Experience to AEI -
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Published on: 1/17/2002
Last Visited: 12/26/2003
Dr. A. Jim Chacko will serve on AEI's Board for the next three years, contributing his expertise and experience to the future of AEI.
A native of India, Dr. Chacko received his B.S. in Biology from Osmania University and his M.S. in Fisheries Biology from Kerala University before coming to the United States and receiving his Ph.D. in Wildlife Sciences from the University of Idaho.He then spent time teaching fisheries zoology at the University of Idaho as well as several colleges in India.For the past 16 years, Dr. Chacko has been at Unity teaching classes in the various aspects of aquaculture, such as international aquaculture, the microscopic anatomy of fish, fish culture, fish physiology, and fish diseases and pathology.He has also been serving as Unity's Coordinator of Aquaculture.
Dr. Chacko is a certified Fisheries Pathologist and does diagnostic work for many aquaculture and fisheries products companies.He began his work in fish pathology at the Idaho State Department of Fish & Game and the University of Idaho, and came to the state of Maine in the early '80s when the aquaculture industry in the state was in its infancy; his dedication to sustainable, healthy fish populations has been critical to Maine's emergence as one of the leading producers of farmed salmon.Beyond his work as a professor, Unity's Coordinator of Aquaculture, and a fisheries pathologist, Dr. Chacko does a great deal of extension work, helping different organizations, such as the Good Will-Hinckley School in Hinckley, Maine, get involved with the aquaculture industry.His work, such as his recent discovery of a species of fish parasite never before found in the United States, has led him around the world to present at conferences and visit industry facilities, and has been featured in a wide range of scientific publications.
AEI's Board of Directors develops and implements all policies and procedures, such as personnel and student policies, budget planning and fundraising, and the evaluation of educational programs, for the Audubon Expedition Institute's traveling environmental education programs.AEI has undergone a great deal of growth in the past and continues to do so, providing an interesting and challenging future for its Board.It is this challenge, as well as a belief in the institution's mission, that drew Chacko to the position.As he noted, "AEI's mission is tremendous.
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