Jean Faullimmel Profile

Jean Faullimmel holds a Ph.D. in Polymer Science and Engineering from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and a Master in Organic Chemistry from Wright State University, Dayton, Ohio. He received in Bachelor degree from the University of Strasbourg in France. Prior to his education in the United States, he worked for Shell Oil Co in France as a chemist dealing with in air pollution issues. After finishing his scientific education, Jean wanted to learn more about the world we live in. Interested in exploring new horizons and meeting the fabric of the worlds cultures, he went on an educational world trip that took him to South America, the South Pacific, Asia and Africa. It lasted almost 3 years. Meeting so many different cultures and walks of life, and trying to understand them, helped him, with more understanding, to look at life, people and cultures with greater respect. After his return to France, he worked for a consulting firm in charge of the development of scientific training programs for people working in oil and gas refineries. Later on, very interested in teaching at the university level, he became a visiting professor and research adviser in Polymer Chemistry at Chulalongkorn University in Thailand. From this new experience, he discovered the richness of teaching in a different cultural context. After Thailand he joined the American chemical company, Rohm and Haas, as Manager of the Analytical Development Laboratory. This work consisted in developing test methods for new products specifications and for environmental purposes such as air, water and soil pollution analyses. Subsequently, he became Manager of the New Product and Process Development Laboratory. Such new experience helped him to become aware of the importance of waste minimization during manufacturing processes, and its impact on the environment and human health. Finally, Jean became Manager of Environmental Development dealing with all environmental issues the chemical industry is confronted with. For him, with first hand experiences, environmental awareness then really settling in.

After 14 years with Rohm and Haas, Mr. Faullimmel took early retirement. He went back home as an environmental expert. Since then his aim is to give back what he received and learned during his professional life, mainly during the years he was an environmental engineer. For him environmental education has become a necessity worldwide if we want to stop the destruction of our ecosystem and quality of life.

Since then Jean tries to promote Environmental Education, through teaching and industrial consulting. It started in France, and later spread his activities to China, South Africa and the Philippines. Right now, he is a visiting professor at Tongji University in Shanghai and Tanjin University of Finance and Economics in China; Stellenbosch University, Cape Peninsula University of Technology, the University of the Western Cape and the Durban University of Technology in South Africa. In the Philippines he has been a consultant to the Department of Science and Technology in Cebu on issues related to solid waste management and wastewater treatment. While on consulting missions, he also gives seminars and public conferences on the importance of Environmental Education. His
teaching and consulting activities concern all important environmental issues the world in confronted with: air, water and land pollution, pollution prevention, remediation, wastewater treatment, waste management, environmental management, chemical risk assessment, Sustainable Development, global warming and climate change.

To him, university programs in developing countries are not compatible with the existing pollution issues these countries are facing. Academic institutions have an important role in planting the seed of environmental awareness and adopting the concept of Sustainable Development. Without such awareness at all levels of society, the world pollution and damage to the ecosystem will not show any sign of abating. Better environmental teaching programs can help. It is where it all starts if we want to save our planet from air, water and land pollution.
JF/10/08/2011