University Faculty Members as Scientific Consultants

Abstract

Aspecial breed of university scientists is active in industrial and government consulting. This group consists of faculty members with credibility in their fields of specialization, and acquired ability to design a project, collect data, then assemble, analyze, and synthesize the data relevant to a client’s needs. Many faculty members (and their assistants) with technical skills act as part-time consultants for industrial or governmental organizations. Today’s demands for expertise are in expanding “high-tech” specialties such as immuno-chemistry, molecular biology, and genetic engineering, and it is rare to talk to academic specialists in these emerging areas who are not consulting or have not been approached for paid advice. Environmental consulting has also been popular during the past two decades, coincident with increased public concerns about actions of industries that pollute or otherwise modify ecologically sensitive natural areas, and with the passage and enforcement of more and more laws and regulations protecting our water, air, and land from degrading practices. It seems generally true that as the regulatory agencies become more powerful, the demand for consultant services increases.