The Remarkable (and Still Evolving) Career of Prof. Lou Theodore
August 23, 2021
Hosted by Ron Roel
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Episode Description
Louis Theodore may be a retired professor, but he is anything but the retiring type. After a distinguished career teaching chemical engineering at Manhattan College and serving as director of the Graduate Program (primarily responsible for his program achieving a No. 2 national ranking) Lou has continued to lead an extraordinarily productive life as educator, scholar, author, basketball fan, coach, consultant mentor, grandfather—and most recently, inventor. At 87, he is hardly slowing down. In today’s episode, Lou describes a life story that started out in New York City’s Hell’s Kitchen and took him to the top of a complex scientific field as an internationally recognized expert in environmental management. Lou has written 131 text and reference books, covering an expansive range of topics, including environment ethics, air pollution control equipment, nanotechnology, and most recently, a second edition of “Introduction to Environmental Management,” which he co-wrote with his wife, Mary. He currently serves as a part-time consultant to Theodore Tutorials, a firm specializing in providing training needs to industry, government and academia. Along the way, Lou has also maintained his lifelong passion for basketball, supporting youth leagues and publishing a decidedly non-technical book, “Basketball Coaching 101,” an eclectic compendium of personal stories, a short history of the game and a spray of tips and commentary from other coaches, player, writers and fans. (Not surprisingly, he’s working on a second edition of this book, too.) Lou’s life highlights the importance of keeping close social connection over the year, with colleagues, former students and basketball players—long-standing friendships as well as new ones. And as a testament to his enduing curiosity and creativity, Lou has just been awarded two U.S. patents relating to processes for obtaining drinking water from geothermal energy and the combustion of fossil fuels. There’s a growing shortage in potable water across the planet, and Lou is intent on joining the search for solutions.
45 Forward
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Thanks to advances in medicine and health, most of us are just at half-life when we reach our mid-40s, with many potentially productive years ahead. But there’s no road map to prepare us for this period. That’s where 45 Forward comes in.
My show provides you with strategies to shift the traditional waiting-for-retirement model to a journey of compelling life chapters. Each show tackles an aspect of health, finance, family and friends, housing, work and personal pursuits as part of an integrated plan. Experts discuss topics like revitalizing relationships, creating mini-retirements, managing the maze of technology, finding your next homestead and caring for aging parents.
The show instills confidence, and hopefully some comfort, amid the stresses permeating today’s society. Fear of the future is not knowing how to prepare for it. 45 Forward does not proffer prefabricated answers, but helps you shape your life amid the daily anxieties of our time.
Ron Roel
I’m a veteran journalist who spent a wide-ranging career covering business, politics and social issues, the last two decades focusing on the blend of diverse life skills I call successful aging.
I have written extensively on aging topics, spoken at conferences, radio and TV shows, and launched several entrepreneurial ventures, discovering along the way that the path to aging well also requires an unexpected entrepreneurial vision. I spent 20 years as a writer and editor at Long Island’s daily newspaper, Newsday, helping to found Act 2, a weekly section for 50-plus readers. I created Roelresources.com, a website offering practical advice and inspirational essays for people ages 40 and above. I have been a volunteer and consultant to AARP Long Island, writing articles, advocating for seniors, and developing action plans for the AARP Age-Friendly Communities initiative.
I am active in programs and organizations that support seniors, such as the National Aging In Place Council and the Senior Umbrella Network. I have developed a special expertise in family caregiving, as one of four brothers who took care of their mother for almost 25 years. I regularly collaborate with many professionals who provide services and support for older Americans, and I am completing a book for caregivers on Long Island, “The Caregiving Navigator/How to Plan, What to do, and Where to Turn When Caring for you Aging Loved Ones. And Yourself,” scheduled for publication in early 2021.
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