John Pichtel is a professor of natural resources and environmental management at Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana. He received his PhD in environmental science and his MS in soil chemistry/agronomy from The Ohio State University, and his BS in natural resources management from Rutgers University. His primary research and professional activities have been in management of hazardous and municipal wastes, remediation of contaminated sites, reclamation of mined lands, and environmental chemistry. He has authored or co-authored approximately 40 research articles. Pichtel has served as a consultant in hazardous waste management projects and has conducted environmental assessments and remediation research in the United States, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Finland, and Poland.