S. A. Abbasi, presently Distinguished Professor, School of Advanced Engineering, University of Petroleum and Energy Studies (UPES), Dehradun, has earlier been a full university professor and director (1987- 2015), and Emeritus Professor (2015-2024) at the Centre for Pollution Control and Environmental Engineering, Pondicherry University. Prior to it he was the founder Head of the Water Quality & Environment Division at the Centre for Water Resources, Kozhikode (1979-87), and a Visiting-cum-adjunct Professor at California State University (1984- 1987). He has also been a Visiting Professor at the universities of Minnesota, Florida, Nevada, California-Berkeley, Malaya and Al-Ahsa. Prof Abbasi is considered among the world’s foremost experts in the fields of bioprocess engineering, process safety, and environmental engineering. Among numerous coveted honours and awards received by Prof Abbasi are the National Design Award in Environmental Engineering, the IPCL award for Safety and Hazard Management in Petroleum Industries, the National Hydrology Award, the International Desalination Association’s prize, The Trever Kletz award, and fellowships of the National Academy of Sciences and the Indian Institute of Chemical Engineers.