Raymond Farinato

Raymond Farinato

Professor of Professional Practice in Earth and Environmental Engineering

Raymond Farinato joined the Earth and Environmental Engineering department as a Professor of Professional Practice in July 2020.

He brings a practical sense of how to translate fundamental science and engineering principles into industrial-scale technologies. He believes that if technical advances are going to benefit society, then they must be made to work at this scale. Along with other EEE colleagues, Farinato is forming the foundation for a Sustainable Mineral Resource Management program within the department. Research will be directed at developing the next generation of mineral processing methods from a “mines of the future” perspective. His experience with surface and interfacial science and polymer physical chemistry will be essential in this effort.

Farinato received a BS in chemistry from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (1971) and a PhD in Physical Chemistry from the University of Massachusetts–Amherst (1976). He was a post doc in biophysics at the University of California at Berkeley and consulted at the Lawrence Berkeley Labs on radiation damage to DNA. He spent one year as a Senior Engineer at the Nearshore Environment Research Center in Tokyo, Japan before committing the next 39 years to working in industry (American Cyanamid, Cytec Industries, Kemira, Solvay). Over his industrial career he worked predominantly in the areas of water-soluble polymers, surface and colloid chemistry, and adhesion science, with an emphasis on applications in the water treatment, waste management, oilfield, and mineral processing industries. He has published over 90 publications including peer-reviewed articles, patents, and books (2). Farinato is also a founding member of the International Symposia on Polyelectrolytes. Since 2005, he has been an adjunct professor in EEE, co-teaching a graduate level course on Advanced Surface & Colloid Chemistry.

Research Areas

  • Energy, Mineral, and Materials
  • Environmental Separation Science and Technology
  • Particle Technology for Environmental Applications
  • Sustainable Production of Earth Mineral and Metal Resources
  • Water Chemistry
  • Sustainable Materials
  • Sustainable Resource Recovery (Sustainable Mining)
  • Sustainable Water
  • Surface & Colloid Chemistry
  • Interfacial Engineering

Additional Information

  • Professional Experience
    • Professor of Professional Practice, Columbia University, 2020-present
    • Senior Research Fellow, Solvay (Cytec Industries), 2010-2020
    • Research Fellow, Kemira, 2006-2010 
    • Research Fellow, Cytec Industries (American Cyanamid), 1981-2006
    • Coastal Engineer, Nearshore Environment Research Center (Tokyo, Japan), 1980
    • Chemist, Lawrence Berkeley Laboratories, 1979-1980
    • Postdoc, University of California – Berkeley, 1976-1978
       
  • Professional Affiliations
    • Co-Founder and Organizing Committee Member of International Symposium on Polyelectrolytes (1993-present)
    • American Chemical Society (Colloid & Polymer Divisions); Session organizer for 1991, 1993, 1996, 2003
    • Co-chair for 13th ICSCS and 83rd Colloid and Surface Science Symposium (Columbia University) 2009
    • Ion-Containing Polymers Gordon Conferences: 1995, 1997, 1999, 2001 (chair), 2003 (session chair)
    • Intertech Conference on Coagulants and Flocculants Chairman 2005
    • Editorial Boards: Encyclopedia of Colloid and Surface Science (current) and Langmuir (past)
    • Frequent reviewer for: Minerals Engineering, Minerals, International Journal of Mineral Processing, Colloids and Surfaces A
    • American Physical Society (Society of Rheology)
    • IACIS (International Association of Colloid and Interface Scientists)
    • SME (Society for Mining, Metallurgy and Exploration)
    • Sigma Xi
    • United States Aikido Federation; member Board of Directors
       
  • Honors & Awards
    • Solvay Fellow, 2016 – 2020
    • Shihan and 7th dan in Aikido, 2013
    • Cytec Industries Circle of Excellence Award, 2005
    • NSF NATO ASI Fellowship, 1975
  • Education
    • Postdoc, Biophysics, University of California - Berkeley
    • PhD, Physical Chemistry, University of Massachusetts - Amherst
    • BS, Chemistry, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute