Dr. Will D. Carpenter has been hailed by many as an “unsung hero of Agricultural Science”. In ‘will d…a life in science’ from Front Porch Press LLC, the true breadth of Dr. Carpenter’s accomplishments are showcased publicly for the first time. It has also brought Dr. Carpenter’s voice back onto the world’s stage, to share bold opinions about the current state of global food production. In short, Dr. Carpenter believes that the modern consumer is unaware of just how privileged they are.
St. Louis, MO -- (SBWIRE) -- 11/04/2014 -- Dr. Will D. Carpenter has a seemingly-endless list of achievements from a life dedicated to improving agricultural practices and thus global food production. He has sat at the helm of modern history’s most significant scientific developments, from heading the team that brought of ‘Lasso’ and ‘Roundup’ ‘to market, through to influencing world leaders and playing a significant role in the drafting and signing of The Chemical Weapons Treaty. ‘will d…a life in science’ tells the definitive story of Dr. Carpenter’s career, and its recent release has brought him back into the public’s eye with some definitive views on the modern world’s lack of appreciation for its food supplies.
Biography synopsis:
A passion for science and a lifelong dedication to it placed Dr. Will D. Carpenter in the very thick of some of the most important science related events of the twentieth century. His outstanding work and achievements are widely known in scientific communities, but even some of his closest acquaintances are likely unaware of the breadth of his accomplishments.
In intimate detail, will d…a life in science brings to life Dr. Carpenter’s amazing career and his feeble attempt at retirement. It highlights his diligence in helping farmers to feed the world, and his many years of participation during the creation and signing of the Chemical Weapons Treaty. The book introduces us to leaders who influenced him and served as his mentors, as well as those whom Dr. Carpenter himself would lead and mentor, and to influential people all over the world who would call him a friend.
“The bottom line is that people these days don’t fully understand or appreciate how cheap and healthy their food is,” explains Dr. Carpenter. “Advances in science and technology over the past half-century requires the average household to spend just 10-14% of their disposable cash on food. If they were spending the same percentage people did in the 1960s they could forget being able to afford monthly internet, throw their expensive running shoes away and most of the world’s cruise lines would shut down!”
Dr. Carpenter headed the team of dedicated scientists that initially marketed weed killers ‘Lasso’ and ‘Roundup’; saving the lives of thousands of people who would leave school and other pursuits simply to pull weeds by hand on the family farm. Children were freed to become cherished members of the family rather than labor sources and food began to produce at record rates.
While Dr. Carpenter is too modest to seek out public credit for his work in this area, he openly admits that modern society is somewhat blind to where its food comes from.
“Thanks to all of the progress made by the Land Grant Universities, Industry, and USDA, about 90% of the people are at least 3 generations removed from agriculture, and, I’m afraid, don’t have a very good idea of how food gets on their table. At one time we required twenty to forty-million people to work seventy hours a week on farms. Most people these days would never leave their air conditioned offices to do that kind of work. The good news is that they don’t have to, because the world is more privileged now than it has ever been. What I do want people to appreciate is that people were behind creating that privilege,” he adds.
Insuring food for millions of people who would otherwise go hungry was the conviction that would drive Dr. Carpenter in his efforts to test and promote products that would benefit global agricultural communities. His new biography offers a fascinating insight into these developments as well as a myriad of other accomplishments.
‘will d…a life in science’ is available now. For complete details on the life and career of Dr. Will D. Carpenter please visit his web site: http://www.willdcarpenter.com.
About Dr. Carpenter
Dr. Carpenter was founding Board member of the World Agricultural Forum. He served on the Mississippi State University Foundation Board, and on the Purdue Science Advisory Board. He is a member of the Board of Trustees of the St. Louis Science Center, and a past member of the Board of the St. Louis Academy of Science. He also served in several capacities in professional organizations including President and Fellow of the Weed Science Society of America and for the North Central Weed Conference. He was the founder of the University-Industry Consortium, composed of over 20 Land Grant Institutions and a dozen major companies. He has served as Chair of the Leadership Council of the College of Arts and Sciences of the University of Missouri-St. Louis, and on the Advisory Board of the College of Arts and Sciences of Webster University. The University of Missouri, St. Louis awarded him an Honorary Doctorate of Science in 2013.
His undergraduate alma mater, Mississippi State University, has recognized his efforts by awarding him the Agricultural Achievement Award in 1987, Alumni of the year in Agriculture in 1997, and in 2003 he was named National Alumni of the year, and awarded an Honorary Doctorate in 2005. Purdue University named him the School of Science Distinguished Alumni in 1990, and awarded an Honorary Doctorate in 1999.
In 2005, Gamma Sigma Delta, the International Honor Society of Agriculture, awarded Dr. Carpenter the International Award for Distinguished Achievement in Agriculture.