Joan B. Berkowitz is a physical chemist who has worked in a number of different research areas throughout her career, including the thermodynamics of inorganic systems , the electrochemistry of flames, oxidation studies of refractory metals and alloys, inorganic coating technology, and high-temperature vaporization. Berkowitz has specialized in the area of environmental management since 1972, when she contributed to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's first report to Congress on hazardous waste. Berkowitz was the first woman president of the Electrochemical Society, and in 1983 she received the Achievement Award of the Society of Women Engineers for her pioneering contributions in the field of hazardous-waste management. Berkowitz is currently managing director of Farkas, Berkowitz, and Company, an environmental consulting agency based in Washington, D.C., which focuses on the evaluation of waste treatment and disposal, as well as remediation technologies and market-potential assessment.

Berkowitz was born in Brooklyn, New York, on...