John Pichtel, PhD, is professor of environment, geology and natural resources at Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana, where he has been on the faculty since 1987. His primary research and professional activities have been in remediation of contaminated sites, management of hazardous materials, and environmental chemistry. Dr. Pichtel teaches courses in environmental site assessment, site remediation, emergency response to hazmat incidents, and management of solid and hazardous wastes.