R. EUGENE CARAWAN, Ph.D.
Dr. Carawan is an international authority on water conservation, pollution prevention and waste reduction, environmental compliance, permitting issues, food plant design, and equipment selection. He has provided expertise to government, universities and the food industry for over 35 years.

Dr. Carawan has provided technical information and guidance on environmental issues throughout all sectors of the food industry including:

• Food and agribusiness companies;

• Government agencies including U.S. FDA, USDA, USAID and
  U.S. EPA;

• Trade associations such as the American Meat Institute, American Bakers Association, National Food Processors, International Dairy Foods Association;

• Environmental groups such as the World Bank, World Environment Center, Asian Environmental Program; and

• Government entities including cities, states and foreign governments.

He has led and participated on teams from major food processors and producers in the development of ISO 14001 certifiable Environmental Management Systems. He has assisted managers, employees and regulators in understanding environmental compliance and effective control measures including pollution prevention options to minimize risks. His goal has always been to develop the most cost-effective strategies to meet both corporate and regulatory objectives.

Selected qualifications include:

• Certified Lead Auditor for ISO 14000;

• Led more than 500 projects in the past 10 years;

• Compiled research and produced a major study on cleaner technology development for the U.S. Congress, Office of Technology Assessment, entitled "Commercialization of Environmental Technologies in the Food Processing Industry";

• Served as project leader for a team of four scientists from three universities and USDA that published a fifteen volume set of booklets totaling almost 2,400 pages on Water and Wastewater Management in Food Processing;

• Served as technical advisor to U.S. EPA and the American Meat Institute Environmental Committee in the initiation of the Sustainable Development Project for Meat and Poultry Industries;

• Assisted food companies, government agencies, and research groups with the design and operation of food plants to conserve water and prevent pollution. Conducted hundreds of environmental assessments - water conservation and pollution prevention - at food plants in the USA, Estonia, Chile, Jordan, Egypt, Indonesia and the Philippines;

• Authored or co-authored more than 500 publications and produced educational materials on food processing including research reports, fact sheets, computer programs, and training videos;

• Delivered numerous presentations and lectures on efficient food processing, pollution prevention in food plants, and cleaner technologies for food processing in U.S as well as New Zealand and Australia;

• Developed educational materials for the N.C. Pollution Prevention Program to help the food processing industry and individual plants save resources and capital by reducing waste production and conserving water;

• Assisted the World Environmental Center in New York on consultations in Egypt, Estonia, Jordan, and the Philippines;
  Assisted World Bank and US AID in consultancies in the Peoples Republic of China, Hong Kong and Sri Lanka; and

• Holder of a trademark and patent co-holder for system to recover product from the waste stream in food processing.

Dr. Carawan has received numerous awards and honors including:

• North Carolina Water Conservationist of the Year Award, 1991 Governor's Conservation Achievement Awards Program;

• Recognized as a Citation recipient (1991), the only individual so honored, in the First Annual President's Environment and Conservation Challenge Awards, at the White House;

• Water Conservationist of the Year (1991), Governor's Conservation Award Program in cooperation with the NC Wildlife Federation and the National Wildlife Federation;

• Outstanding Extension Service Award, 1992-93, North Carolina State University (NCSU); and

• Department of Food Science, NCSU, recognized for his successful Pollution Prevention in Food Processing Program by the U.S. EPA, Region IV Administrator Greer C. Tidwell (1992)

Dr. Carawan received his doctoral degree in Food Science and Nutrition from The Ohio State University. He received his master's (minor in Civil Sanitary Engineering) and undergraduate degrees in Food Science from North Carolina State University. He has over 30 years of Academic Experience with North Carolina State University and The Ohio State University.
[Top]