Contact: Bob Ratliff
Will D. Carpenter is representing the United States on the newly formed Scientific Advisory Board of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons.
A 1952 Mississippi State University agronomy graduate, Carpenter is the retired vice president and general manager of the new products division at Monsanto Corp.'s Agricultural Group. From 1992 to 1996, the Moorhead native served as executive-in-residence for MSU's Division of Agriculture, Forestry and Veterinary Medicine.
An arm of the United Nations, the OPCW is charged with carrying out the provisions of the International Chemical Weapons Convention, which seeks to prohibit the production, storage and use of chemical weapons.
The 20-member board advises the director-general of the OPCW on developing technologies in chemical engineering. It also provides major input on disarmament/verification methods, medical sciences and other areas influencing the implementation of the Chemical Weapons Convention.
A St. Louis, Mo., resident, Carpenter was selected from more than 100 nominees. He and the other board members will serve three-year terms.
Carpenter, who also holds master's and doctoral degrees in plant physiology from Purdue University, represented the Chemical Manufacturers Association during the U.S. government's negotiations on chemical warfare disarmament from 1979 to 1994.