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Behind the Scenes:
STAFF Meet a Brookfield Zoo Staff Member

In each issue, we’ll introduce you to one of Brookfield Zoo’s
fascinating staff members.

Meet Dr. Mike Adkesson. He is one of only about 200 recognized
veterinary specialists in zoo and wildlife medicine. In recognition of the
outstanding veterinary care he has provided to Brookfield Zoo’s animals,
he was chosen to be a finalist for the 2020 American Humane Hero
Veterinarian Award™. He is one of five finalists out of a field of 250 nominees.

Job title: Dr. Adkesson has been vice president of clinical medicine
for the Chicago Zoological Society and Brookfield Zoo since 2012.

Education: In 2004, he received his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine
(DVM) degree from the College of Veterinary Medicine at the
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He will be completing
a Master of Business Administration from the same institution this
year. Dr. Adkesson has board certifications in Zoological Medicine
from both the American College of Zoological Medicine and the
European College of Zoological Medicine.

Job duties: A member of the Chicago Zoological Society
management team, Dr. Adkesson oversees hospital operations,
veterinary programs, and the medical care of 2,500-plus animals.
On any day, he might do a routine check-up of a snow leopard cub,
examine a newly arrived sea lion to check for illnesses, perform a CT
scan on a polar bear, or remove a growth from a rhino’s sinus using
cutting-edge surgical techniques. He leads CZS’ incredible veterinary
team at being the forefront of innovation for zoo animals.

The doctor also spends time training students and veterinarians, devising research studies,
and writing grant proposals. He has authored and co-authored more than 50 book chapters
and articles in scientific journals. He has played important roles in many professional organizations
and is a past president of the American Association of Zoo Veterinarians.

Since 2007, Dr. Adkesson has led conservation and research programs in Punta San Juan, Peru.
This comprehensive field research program—with a focus on Humboldt penguins, fur seals, sea
lions and their ecosystems—is carried out by the Chicago Zoological Society in partnership with
other institutions and organizations in the U.S. and South America. The program engages and
educates local communities about the importance of protecting the ecosystem and wildlife.

Teaching: An adjunct clinical assistant professor with the University of Illinois College of Veterinary
Medicine, Dr. Adkesson has trained hundreds of veterinarians and veterinary students. In 2019,
the Illinois Zoological and Aquatic Animal Residency Program, in which the doctor participates,
celebrated its 15th anniversary. The program’s graduates are employed in major zoos and
aquariums throughout the country—many are in leadership roles.

Dr. Adkesson is a frequent presenter at national and international conferences.

Top to bottom: Dr. Mike Adkesson with T-Mo, a baby Linne’s
two-toed sloth; at work in Brookfield Zoo’s Animal Hospital;
conducting field research at Punta San Juan, Peru.

BROOKFIELD ZOO | WINTER 2020/21 11