From organometallics to water oxidation processes and beyond: the legacy of the environmentalist and philosopher William H. Glaze.

William H. (Bill) Glaze, a pioneer in water decontamination and connected topics, is a role model for all of us working in environmental sciences. Besides his brilliant contributions relating to the determination of organic compounds in water (1-6) and the use of ozone and other oxidation techniques and sustainable technologies for drinking water treatment (7-11), Bill ventured into many other projects linked to sustainable development, sustainable energy, and green chemistry projects. His contributions in these fields were marked in the creation of, and being the inaugural Director for, the Carolina Environmental Program (CEP), part of the Sustainability Coalition of the University of North Carolina. Sustainability is an integral part of the scientific endeavors of Bill, as remarked in an editorial article entitled “Ethics and Sustainability” (12). As CEP Director, Bill took an active interest in the reduction of energy consumption through enrolling North Carolina in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Energy Star Partners Program. This program included upgrading the Energy Management and Control System to allow real time, automated metering and digitized readout of electricity, steam, and chilled water consumption. In addition, the CEP worked in materials management and waste reduction strategies that allowed for an impressive 37% recycling rate in one year, saving North Carolina more than half a million dollars relative to the cost of landfilling. Before anyone, Bill Glaze visualized and put great effort into the integration of environmental sciences with human health sciences. As a man of great vision, he was eager to tackle environmental and social health paradigms often overlooked by the regulatory entities. His philosophy is often expressed in his concern to awaken in the public an interest in global environmental issues that affect the population worldwide, regardless of the problem’s sources. Perhaps the most vivid example of this way of thinking is one of his Environmental Science & Technology editorials from 1988, “Chemistry and Public Health” (13), in which he contrasted the abysmal differences in the concerns of developed versus underdeveloped countries. His sensibility as a scientist allowed him to realize that we are passive witnesses of the great environmental risks faced by human beings in the countries on our own continent. His philosophy also concerns being able to see the problems faced by society under any circumstance. Upon the advent of the World Trade Center twin towers’ attack on September 11, 2001, Bill analyzed the context of the terrorist action for the nation, but he wondered about priorities: our environmental obligations to endangered species, and to endangered people (14). Bill is a brave and engaged freethinker who has spoken out against the powerful when he has perceived wrongdoing. In 1992, when rumors suggested that the U.S. Congress was interested in regulating how the National Science Foundation was going to allocate research funds, Bill raised his voice in an editorial article entitled “Pork” (15). Therein he advocated for a real disconnect between science and politics. Bill, throughout his career, has displayed a rare kind of longevity in his discipline. He has, through endurance and commitment, run the gamut from scientist to editor to educator and so forth. It is, to say the least, an impressive variation of work. And however much of his work has been met with success and recognition, it is only due to the exponentially increased amount of work delivered on his part. Bill is primarily and before all else a hard worker. His career serves as a testimony to the long-observed fact that hard work, executed with passion and consistency, leads to great things, not only for the worker but for those who benefit from the labors. There exists a bonding factor in all that Bill has achieved, all he has done, taught, discovered, researched, and expanded on. His varied work is bound by a single passion, an overarching theme that has served as a catalyst throughout the years: Bill has a burning and uninhibited desire for knowledge.