W. Peter Freeman, 74, has enjoyed a long career of exploration and discovery that has taken him all over the world. Whether testing nuclear power plants for air cleaning and control room habitability, setting up testing laboratories, introducing new product lines or troubleshooting existing processes, he has shared his expertise with industry professionals in Sri Lanka, India, Vietnam, China, the Philippines and various parts of Europe.
A graduate of Ohio State University, Freeman has been an enthusiastic member of the chemicals, water and air treatment industry since 1978. Having started as a lab technician, he now works as principal applications engineer for Jacobi Carbons and serves on various standard committees in the water and wastewater industry.
While Freeman admits the hardest part of his job is trying to get things accomplished with a limited budget—and untangling the associated red tape—his fascination with adsorption science and its applications keeps him engaged in his work. Not only does he continue to increase his knowledge and understanding of the field by attending various seminars and training sessions, but he works at passing along that knowledge through the careful and attentive mentoring of the next generation of engineers. His advice to those young engineers? “Be open, curious and eager to learn. Never stop trying to know and understand how things work.”
When asked about changes he has seen in the industry over the course of his career, he replied, “Technology improvements make life easier and more efficient as time moves on. I can remember when I would spend hours making graphs of data by hand! Regulations continue to be more complex and widespread than ever before. It is almost impossible for a generalist like me to keep on top of them, so reliance on specialists who do becomes more and more important.”
Away from the office, Freeman unwinds by playing senior softball, hiking, traveling and playing his saxophone. His favorite motto is one he was taught by an engineer early on in his career, and one he lives by to this day: “One test is worth a thousand expert opinions.”
What, in your opinion, are the biggest challenges that the industry is facing?
Communication. We all seem to have a tendency to hide behind our trend charts, spreadsheets, etc., without taking the time to make the human connection with our intended audience. Face-to-face contact remains the best.
What has been the best part about your job?
Over all these years, I would have to say all the incredible people I have met along the way. Talented individuals from both the workplace and as customers have made life so very interesting and rewarding.