Paul Anastas
Encyclopedia
Paul T. Anastas is the Science Advisor to the United States Environmental Protection Agency
as well as the Agency's Assistant Administrator for Research and Development
, appointed by President Barack Obama
. He is also the Director of Yale University
's Center for Green Chemistry
and Green Engineering, where he is currently on leave for public service
.
Anastas has brought worldwide attention to the power of molecular design for the environment. He has published scores of articles as well as ten books, including his seminal work with co-author John Warner, Green Chemistry: Theory and Practice. His 12 Principles of Green Chemistry are the basis for high school, college and graduate programs around the world and have significantly altered the landscape of the chemicals industry in the United States and other countries.
Anastas began his career as a staff chemist at the EPA, where he coined the term "Green Chemistry" and launched the field's first research program. He went on to found the Green Chemistry Institute at the American Chemical Society
and serve in the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy
from 1999 to 2004, where he concluded service as Assistant Director for the Environment. Anastas is currently on public service leave from Yale University, where he holds the Theresa and H. John Heinz chair in Chemistry for the Environment and directs the Center for Green Chemistry and Green Engineering.
Since returning to EPA, Anastas has worked to engage scientists, engineers, and stakeholders across EPA, the federal government
, and the scientific community
to unify around the common goal of sustainability.
. He developed an interest in science and environmental issues after witnessing the wetlands behind his childhood home get bulldozed for a development project. As a teenager in Quincy, Anastas met and developed a close friendship with fellow green chemist John Warner. The pair have since co-authored several scientific papers and books, including the 12 Principles of Green Chemistry. Anastas retains a noticeable Boston accent
and is a devoted fan of his hometown baseball team, the Boston Red Sox
.
He is trained as a synthetic organic chemist. He earned his B.S. from the University of Massachusetts at Boston and his M.A. and Ph.D. in chemistry from Brandeis University
.
Anastas was a Special Professor at the University of Nottingham
and an Honorary Professor at Queens University of Belfast where he was also was awarded an Honorary Doctorate.
United States Environmental Protection Agency
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is an agency of the federal government of the United States charged with protecting human health and the environment, by writing and enforcing regulations based on laws passed by Congress...
as well as the Agency's Assistant Administrator for Research and Development
Research and development
The phrase research and development , according to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, refers to "creative work undertaken on a systematic basis in order to increase the stock of knowledge, including knowledge of man, culture and society, and the use of this stock of...
, appointed by President Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
. He is also the Director of Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
's Center for Green Chemistry
Green Chemistry
Green Chemistry is a peer-reviewed scientific journal covering any aspect of green chemistry. It is published monthly by the Royal Society of Chemistry and was established in 1999 by James Clark . Articles have to be conceptually accessible to a wide audience...
and Green Engineering, where he is currently on leave for public service
Civil service
The term civil service has two distinct meanings:* A branch of governmental service in which individuals are employed on the basis of professional merit as proven by competitive examinations....
.
Career
Anastas is known widely as the "Father of Green Chemistry" for his ground-breaking work on the design and manufacture of chemicals that are non-hazardous and environmentally benign. He is also a champion of sustainability science and innovation for environmental protection.Anastas has brought worldwide attention to the power of molecular design for the environment. He has published scores of articles as well as ten books, including his seminal work with co-author John Warner, Green Chemistry: Theory and Practice. His 12 Principles of Green Chemistry are the basis for high school, college and graduate programs around the world and have significantly altered the landscape of the chemicals industry in the United States and other countries.
Anastas began his career as a staff chemist at the EPA, where he coined the term "Green Chemistry" and launched the field's first research program. He went on to found the Green Chemistry Institute at the American Chemical Society
American Chemical Society
The American Chemical Society is a scientific society based in the United States that supports scientific inquiry in the field of chemistry. Founded in 1876 at New York University, the ACS currently has more than 161,000 members at all degree-levels and in all fields of chemistry, chemical...
and serve in the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy
Office of Science and Technology Policy
The Office of Science and Technology Policy is an office in the Executive Office of the President , established by Congress on May 11, 1976, with a broad mandate to advise the President on the effects of science and technology on domestic and international affairs.The director of this office is...
from 1999 to 2004, where he concluded service as Assistant Director for the Environment. Anastas is currently on public service leave from Yale University, where he holds the Theresa and H. John Heinz chair in Chemistry for the Environment and directs the Center for Green Chemistry and Green Engineering.
Since returning to EPA, Anastas has worked to engage scientists, engineers, and stakeholders across EPA, the federal government
Federal government of the United States
The federal government of the United States is the national government of the constitutional republic of fifty states that is the United States of America. The federal government comprises three distinct branches of government: a legislative, an executive and a judiciary. These branches and...
, and the scientific community
Scientific community
The scientific community consists of the total body of scientists, its relationships and interactions. It is normally divided into "sub-communities" each working on a particular field within science. Objectivity is expected to be achieved by the scientific method...
to unify around the common goal of sustainability.
Early Life and Education
Anastas was born and raised in Quincy, MassachusettsQuincy, Massachusetts
Quincy is a city in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. Its nicknames are "City of Presidents", "City of Legends", and "Birthplace of the American Dream". As a major part of Metropolitan Boston, Quincy is a member of Boston's Inner Core Committee for the Metropolitan Area Planning Council...
. He developed an interest in science and environmental issues after witnessing the wetlands behind his childhood home get bulldozed for a development project. As a teenager in Quincy, Anastas met and developed a close friendship with fellow green chemist John Warner. The pair have since co-authored several scientific papers and books, including the 12 Principles of Green Chemistry. Anastas retains a noticeable Boston accent
Boston accent
The Boston dialect is the dialect characteristic of English spoken in the city of Boston and much of eastern Massachusetts. The accent and closely related accents can be heard commonly in an area stretching into much of Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Maine, and areas of south-western Nova Scotia...
and is a devoted fan of his hometown baseball team, the Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
.
He is trained as a synthetic organic chemist. He earned his B.S. from the University of Massachusetts at Boston and his M.A. and Ph.D. in chemistry from Brandeis University
Brandeis University
Brandeis University is an American private research university with a liberal arts focus. It is located in the southwestern corner of Waltham, Massachusetts, nine miles west of Boston. The University has an enrollment of approximately 3,200 undergraduate and 2,100 graduate students. In 2011, it...
.
Press
Anastas and his work have been featured in several popular media outlets, including:- The New York TimesThe New York TimesThe New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
: Green Chemistry Guru Charting New Course at EPA - WHYYWHYY-FMWHYY-FM is an NPR member station serving the Delaware Valley area, which is the metro area of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The station is located in Philadelphia. Its transmitter is located in the Roxborough section of Philadelphia.-History:...
Radio Times: Paul T. Anastas the Father of Green Chemistry - NatureNature (journal)Nature, first published on 4 November 1869, is ranked the world's most cited interdisciplinary scientific journal by the Science Edition of the 2010 Journal Citation Reports...
: Chemistry: It's Not Easy Being Green - Yale ScientificYale ScientificYale Scientific Magazine is published quarterly by undergraduate Yale University students since 1894. It was founded at the Sheffield Scientific School and was the first student magazine devoted to the sciences. It is currently the nation's oldest collegiate science quarterly...
: Paul Anastas: A Power Player in the Global Chemical Industry - Living on EarthLiving on EarthLiving on Earth is a weekly, hour-long and award-winning environmental news program distributed by Public Radio International.Hosted by Steve Curwood, the program features interviews and commentary on a broad range of ecological issues, exploring how humans interact with their landscape. The show...
: Sustainable Science at EPA - Market PlaceMarketplace (radio program)Marketplace is a radio program that focuses on business, the economy, and events that influence them. Hosted by Kai Ryssdal, the show is produced and distributed by American Public Media, in association with the University of Southern California...
: EPA Scientist Advocates Green Chemistry - Chemical & Engineering NewsChemical & Engineering NewsChemical & Engineering News is a weekly magazine published by the American Chemical Society, providing professional and technical information in the fields of chemistry and chemical engineering...
: Mr. Sustainability Goes to Washignton
Public Speaking
Anastas is known for delivering energetic, engaging public talks that challenge audience members to think differently about environmental challenges. His speeches have been called "thought provoking", "inspiring", and "optimistic". He has been featured as a keynote speaker at several prestigious meetings, conferences and events, including:- The American College and University President's Climate Commitment Summit
- The Joseph Priestly Lecture at the Chemical Heritage FoundationChemical Heritage FoundationThe Chemical Heritage Foundation is a library, museum, and archive in Philadelphia that was founded in 1982. Its founding president was Arnold Thackray, who was winner of the Dexter Award in 1983, and who continued to serve as president thru 2009....
- The United NationsUnited NationsThe United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
Commission on Sustainable DevelopmentCommission on Sustainable DevelopmentThe United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development was established in December 1992 by General Assembly Resolution as a functional commission of the UN Economic and Social Council, implementing a recommendation in of Agenda 21, the landmark global agreement reached at the June 1992 United...
Roundtable - The Albermarle Lecture on Sustainability at Louisiana State UniversityLouisiana State UniversityLouisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, most often referred to as Louisiana State University, or LSU, is a public coeducational university located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The University was founded in 1853 in what is now known as Pineville, Louisiana, under the name...
- The State of Green Business Forum
- The Distinguished Borlaug Lecture at NC State University
Awards
Anastas has been recognized for his pioneering work with several awards, including:- 2011: The Rachel CarsonRachel CarsonRachel Louise Carson was an American marine biologist and conservationist whose writings are credited with advancing the global environmental movement....
Environmental Award from the Natural Products Association - 2008: The Annual Leadership in Science Award from the Council of Scientific Society Presidents
- 2007: The John Jeyes Award from the Royal Society of ChemistryRoyal Society of ChemistryThe Royal Society of Chemistry is a learned society in the United Kingdom with the goal of "advancing the chemical sciences." It was formed in 1980 from the merger of the Chemical Society, the Royal Institute of Chemistry, the Faraday Society and the Society for Analytical Chemistry with a new...
- 2006: The 12th Heinz AwardHeinz AwardThe Heinz Award is an award currently given annually to ten honorees by the Heinz Family Foundation. The Heinz Awards recognize outstanding individuals for their contributions in the five areas of: Arts and Humanities, the Environment, the Human Condition, Public Policy, and Technology, the Economy...
for the Environment - 2005: The Scientific AmericanScientific AmericanScientific American is a popular science magazine. It is notable for its long history of presenting science monthly to an educated but not necessarily scientific public, through its careful attention to the clarity of its text as well as the quality of its specially commissioned color graphics...
50 Award for Policy Innovation - 2004: The Inaugural Canadian Green Chemistry Award
- 2002: The Greek Chemical Society Award for Contributions to Chemistry
- 1999: The Nolan Sommer Award for Distinguished Contributions to Chemistry
- 1999: The Joseph Seifter Award for Scientific Excellence
- 1998: The Vice President's Hammer Award
Anastas was a Special Professor at the University of Nottingham
University of Nottingham
The University of Nottingham is a public research university based in Nottingham, United Kingdom, with further campuses in Ningbo, China and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia...
and an Honorary Professor at Queens University of Belfast where he was also was awarded an Honorary Doctorate.