Dr. Stephen Gieser Joins The Morton Arboretum Board of Trustees

Noted Eye Specialist A Longtime Supporter Of Trees

LISLE, IL (September 10, 2008) – Stephen C. Gieser, M.D., M.P.H., a strong proponent of tree planting and conservation, has joined The Morton Arboretum Board of Trustees. Dr. Gieser is a glaucoma consultant and partner in the Wheaton Eye Clinic, one of the Midwest’s largest ophthalmology clinics.

The 47-year-old eye specialist has been enjoying the Arboretum for decades, having first visited as a fifth grader on a field trip. This early exposure to the tree museum helped foster a lifelong interest in growing trees and other plants. Starting in high school and for years thereafter, he planted landscapes that former Arboretum architect Tony Tyznik designed, on various properties.

Each year, Dr. Gieser plants several hundred trees and shrubs at his West Chicago home.

The Arboretum’s newest trustee was a James Scholar at the University of Illinois College of Medicine, performed his ophthalmology residency at Yale, and earned his M.P.H. degree from Johns Hopkins. In 1991, he was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship for teaching and research in India, and was centrally involved in programs to fight blindness in Kuwait and Bulgaria.

Dr. Gieser has lectured in more than 50 cities, and published more than 30 articles, including eight textbook chapters.

He is a member of the Founders’ Council Steering Committee at the Field Museum of Natural History, and served as Chairman of Soli Deo Gloria, a nonprofit organization dedicated to the proliferation of sacred choral/orchestra music. Dr. Gieser, who grew up in Wheaton, is married to glaucoma specialist Dr. Ruth D. Williams, and is the proud father of 13-year-old twins and a 10-year-old.  

The Morton Arboretum is an internationally recognized 1,700-acre outdoor museum with collections of 4,117 kinds of trees, shrubs, and other plants from around the world. The Arboretum's beautiful natural landscapes, gardens, research and education programs, and year-round family activities support its mission – the planting and conservation of trees and other plants for a greener, healthier, and more beautiful world. Conveniently located at I-88 and Rte. 53 in Lisle, Illinois, the Arboretum is open 7 days a week, 365 days a year, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Central Time or sunset, whichever is earlier. The Children's Garden is open from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., March through October, and 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., November through February. Visit www.mortonarb.org and click Press Room or call to learn more.

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