Paul T. Anastas (born May 16, 1962 in

Quincy, Massachusetts Quincy ( ) is a coastal U.S. city in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. It is the largest city in the county and a part of Greater Boston, Metropolitan Boston as one of Boston's immediate southern suburbs. Its population in 2020 was 1 ...

)David E. Newton
''Chemistry of the Environment.''
Infobase Publishing, 2009, , p. 185. is an American scientist, inventor, author, entrepreneur, professor, and public servant. He is the Director of

Yale University Yale University is a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and among the most prestigious in the wo ...

's Center for

Green Chemistry Green chemistry, also called sustainable chemistry, is an area of chemistry and chemical engineering focused on the design of products and processes that minimize or eliminate the use and generation of hazardous substances. While environmental che ...

and Green Engineering, Previously he served as the Science Advisor to the

United States Environmental Protection Agency The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is an independent executive agency of the United States federal government tasked with environmental protection matters. President Richard Nixon proposed the establishment of EPA on July 9, 1970; it be ...

as well as the Agency's Assistant Administrator for

Research and Development Research and development (R&D or R+D), known in Europe as research and technological development (RTD), is the set of innovative activities undertaken by corporations or governments in developing new services or products, and improving existi ...

, appointed by President

Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the U ...

Career

Anastas is known widely as the "Father of Green Chemistry" for his 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 to help the environment. He has published scores of articles as well as fifteen books, including his seminal work with co-author

John Warner John William Warner III (February 18, 1927 – May 25, 2021) was an American lawyer and politician who served as the United States Secretary of the Navy from 1972 to 1974 and as a five-term Republican U.S. Senator from Virginia from 1979 to 200 ...

, ''Green Chemistry: Theory and Practice''. Their 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 co-found the Green Chemistry Institute in 1997 at the

American Chemical Society The American Chemical Society (ACS) 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 155,000 members at all d ...

and served in the White House

Office of Science and Technology Policy An office is a space where an organization's employees perform administrative work in order to support and realize objects and goals of the organization. The word "office" may also denote a position within an organization with specific dut ...

from 1999 to 2004, where he concluded service as Assistant Director for the Environment. Anastas returned to EPA in 2009 as the Assistant Administrator for EPA's Office of Research and Development (ORD) and the Science Advisor to the Agency, resigning from those positions in February 2012 to return to Yale and his family. In his role as Assistant Administrator, he worked to engage scientists, engineers, and stakeholders across EPA, the

federal government A federation (also known as a federal state) is a political entity characterized by a union of partially self-governing provinces, states, or other regions under a central federal government (federalism). In a federation, the self-governin ...

, and the

scientific community The scientific community is a diverse network of interacting scientists. It includes many " sub-communities" working on particular scientific fields, and within particular institutions; interdisciplinary and cross-institutional activities are als ...

to unify around the common goal of sustainability. He co-founded the chemical manufacturing company, P2 Science in 2011, the catalysis company, Catalytic Innovations in 2017, and Inkemia Green Chemicals in 2017. Anastas is currently the Director of

's Center for

and Green Engineering, where he holds the Theresa and H. John Heinz chair in Chemistry for the Environment.

Early life

Anastas was born and raised in

. He developed an interest in science and environmental issues after witnessing the

wetlands A wetland is a distinct ecosystem that is flooded or saturated by water, either permanently (for years or decades) or seasonally (for weeks or months). Flooding results in oxygen-free (anoxic) processes prevailing, especially in the soils. The ...

behind his childhood home get bulldozed and destroyed for a development project."Green Chemistry Guru Charting New Course at EPA"
''The New York Times''. When he was nine years old he received an “Award of Excellence” from President Richard Nixon for his “outstanding achievements in environmental protection” for his essay on the founding of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. 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 A Boston accent is a local accent of Eastern New England English, native specifically to the city of Boston and its suburbs. Northeastern New England English is classified as traditionally including New Hampshire, Maine, and all of eastern Mass ...

and is a devoted fan of his hometown baseball team, the

Boston Red Sox The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight ...

. He is trained as a synthetic organic chemist. He earned his B.S. in chemistry from the

University of Massachusetts Boston The University of Massachusetts Boston (stylized as UMass Boston) is a Public university, public research university in Boston, Massachusetts. It is the only public research university in Boston and the third-largest campus in the five-campus Un ...

and his M.A. and Ph.D. in chemistry from

Brandeis University , mottoeng = "Truth even unto its innermost parts" , established = , type = Private research university , accreditation = NECHE , president = Ronald D. Liebowitz , pro ...

Press

Anastas and his work have been featured in several popular media outlets, including: *

Chemical & Engineering News ''Chemical & Engineering News'' (''C&EN'') is a weekly news magazine published by the American Chemical Society, providing professional and technical news and analysis in the fields of chemistry and chemical engineering.The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

: ''Green Chemistry Guru Charting New Course at EPA'' * WHYY Radio Times: ''Paul T. Anastas the Father of Green Chemistry'' *

Nature Nature, in the broadest sense, is the physics, physical world or universe. "Nature" can refer to the phenomenon, phenomena of the physical world, and also to life in general. The study of nature is a large, if not the only, part of science. ...

: ''Chemistry: It's Not Easy Being Green'' * Yale Scientific: ''Paul Anastas: A Power Player in the Global Chemical Industry'' *

Living on Earth ''Living on Earth'' is a weekly, hour-long and award-winning environmental news program distributed by Public Radio Exchange (on Public Radio International from October 6, 2006, show to December 6, 2019, show, and before that, NPR from 1991 until ...

: ''Sustainable Science at EPA'' *

Market Place A marketplace or market place is a location where people regularly gather for the purchase and sale of provisions, livestock, and other goods. In different parts of the world, a marketplace may be described as a ''souk'' (from the Arabic), '' ...

: ''EPA Scientist Advocates Green Chemistry'' *

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 A keynote in public speaking is a talk that establishes a main underlying theme. In corporate or commercial settings, greater importance is attached to the delivery of a keynote speech or keynote address. The keynote establishes the framework fo ...

at several prestigious meetings, conferences and events, including: * The American College and University President's Climate Commitment Summit * The

Joseph Priestley Joseph Priestley (; 24 March 1733 – 6 February 1804) was an English chemist, natural philosopher, separatist theologian, grammarian, multi-subject educator, and liberal political theorist. He published over 150 works, and conducted exp ...

Lecture at the

Chemical Heritage Foundation The Science History Institute is an institution that preserves and promotes understanding of the history of science. Located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, it includes a library, museum, archive, research center and conference center. It was fo ...

* The

United Nations The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and international security, security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be ...

Commission on Sustainable Development The United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD) was a body under the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) tasked with overseeing the outcomes of the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development/Earth Summit. It ...

Roundtable * The Albemarle Lecture on Sustainability at

Louisiana State University Louisiana State University (officially Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, commonly referred to as LSU) is a public land-grant research university in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The university was founded in 1860 nea ...

* The State of Green Business Forum * The Distinguished

Borlaug Norman Ernest Borlaug (; March 25, 1914September 12, 2009) was an American agronomist who led initiatives worldwide that contributed to the extensive increases in agricultural production termed the Green Revolution. Borlaug was awarded multiple ...

Lecture at

NC State University North Carolina State University (NC State) is a public land-grant research university in Raleigh, North Carolina. Founded in 1887 and part of the University of North Carolina system, it is the largest university in the Carolinas. The university ...

Awards

Anastas has been recognized for his work with several awards, including: *2021: Volvo Environmental Prize *2018: Honorary Doctorate of Science,

, USA *2017:

US Environmental Protection Agency The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is an independent executive agency of the United States federal government tasked with environmental protection matters. President Richard Nixon proposed the establishment of EPA on July 9, 1970; it be ...

Lifetime Achievement Award *2017:

Italian Chemical Society The Italian Chemical Society ( it, Società Chimica Italiana) is the national association in Italy representing the chemical sciences. Its main aim is to promote and support the development of chemistry and scientific research, spreading the knowle ...

, Silver Seal Medal *2017:

Sigma Xi Sigma Xi, The Scientific Research Honor Society () is a highly prestigious, non-profit honor society for scientists and engineers. Sigma Xi was founded at Cornell University by a junior faculty member and a small group of graduate students in 1886 ...

Distinguished Lecturer *2016:

Association of Environmental Engineering and Science Professors Association of Environmental Engineering and Science Professors (AEESP) is made up of professors in academic programs throughout the world who provide education in the sciences and technologies of environmental protection. The headquarters are lo ...

, Frontier in Research Award *2016:

Royal Society of Chemistry The Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) is a learned society (professional association) in the United Kingdom with the goal of "advancing the chemistry, chemical sciences". It was formed in 1980 from the amalgamation of the Chemical Society, the Ro ...

, Green Chemistry Award *2016: Honorary Doctorate of Science in Chemistry,

McGill University McGill University (french: link=no, Université McGill) is an English-language public research university located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Founded in 1821 by royal charter granted by King George IV,Frost, Stanley Brice. ''McGill Universit ...

, Montreal, Canada *2015:

Emanuel Merck Lectureship The Emanuel Merck Lectureship was founded in 1992 by Technische Universität Darmstadt and Merck KGaA located in Darmstadt, Germany. The lectureship aspires to enlighten scientists and students at Technische Universität Darmstadt, as well as Merck ...

Prize *2012: Wöhler Prize,

Gesellschaft Deutscher Chemiker The German Chemical Society (German: ', GDCh) is a learned society and professional association founded in 1949 to represent the interests of German chemists in local, national and international contexts. GDCh "brings together people working in che ...

(GDCh) *2012:

Edward O. Wilson Edward Osborne Wilson (June 10, 1929 – December 26, 2021) was an American biologist, naturalist, entomologist and writer. According to David Attenborough, Wilson was the world's leading expert in his specialty of myrmecology, the study of a ...

Biodiversity Technology Pioneer Award *2012:

Brandeis University , mottoeng = "Truth even unto its innermost parts" , established = , type = Private research university , accreditation = NECHE , president = Ronald D. Liebowitz , pro ...

Alumni Achievement Award *2011: The

Rachel Carson Rachel Louise Carson (May 27, 1907 – April 14, 1964) was an American marine biologist, writer, and conservationist whose influential book ''Silent Spring'' (1962) and other writings are credited with advancing the global environmental m ...

Environmental Award from the

Natural Products Association The Natural Products Association or NPA (formerly the NNFA, or the National Nutritional Foods Association) is the largest and oldest nonprofit organization representing the interests of manufacturers and retailers of the natural products industry, ...

* 2008: The Annual Leadership in Science Award (with John Warner) from the Council of Scientific Society Presidents * 2007: The John Jeyes Award from the

* 2006: The 12th Annual

Heinz Award The Heinz Awards are individual achievement honors given annually by the Heinz Family Foundation. The Heinz Awards each year recognize outstanding individuals for their innovative contributions in three areas: the Arts, the Economy and the Enviro ...

for the Environment * 2005: The

Scientific American ''Scientific American'', informally abbreviated ''SciAm'' or sometimes ''SA'', is an American popular science magazine. Many famous scientists, including Albert Einstein and Nikola Tesla, have contributed articles to it. In print since 1845, it i ...

50 Award for Policy Innovation * 2004: The Inaugural Canadian Green Chemistry Award * 2002: The Greek Chemical Society Award for Contributions to Chemistry *2001: Recognized by President George W. Bush for “Distinguished Service on September 11, 2001” noting his “dedicated service to the White House and the Executive Office of the President following the attack on the United States of America” while he was serving in the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. * 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 The National Partnership for Reinventing Government (NPR), originally the National Performance Review, was an interagency task force created under the Clinton administration to reform the way the United States federal government works. The NPR wa ...

for reinventing government recognizing his work in establishing the U.S. Green Chemistry Program. *1991: President H.W. Bush’s Point-of-Light Award for volunteer service Anastas was a Special Professor at the

University of Nottingham The University of Nottingham is a public university, public research university in Nottingham, United Kingdom. It was founded as University College Nottingham in 1881, and was granted a royal charter in 1948. The University of Nottingham belongs t ...

and an Honorary Professor at

Queens University of Belfast , mottoeng = For so much, what shall we give back? , top_free_label = , top_free = , top_free_label1 = , top_free1 = , top_free_label2 = , top_free2 = , established = , closed = , type = Public research university , parent = ...

where he was also awarded an Honorary Doctorate.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Anastas, Paul 21st-century American chemists Brandeis University alumni People from Quincy, Massachusetts Yale University faculty Yale School of Engineering & Applied Science faculty Living people University of Massachusetts Boston alumni Fellows of the American Chemical Society People of the United States Environmental Protection Agency Office of Science and Technology Policy officials Obama administration personnel 1962 births