Dr. Robert (Bob) Taylor Drew of Mount Pleasant, SC, died on November 14, 2018, after a brief illness. Bob was a graduate of Rensselaer Polytechnic University with a BS in Biology. He received both his MS and Ph.D. in Environmental Science from New York University.
Bob’s doctoral research focused on the relationship between areas of high natural backgrounds of radiation in Minas Gerais, Brazil, with the occurrence of lung and other types of cancers in the local populations. However, it was his training at the NYU Center for Environmental Medicine in Sterling Forest, NY with Drs. Norton Nelson, Sid Laskin, and Marvin Kushner that put Bob at the epicenter of the burgeoning science of inhalation toxicology. The technology of rodent inhalation exposure systems and associated generation/measurement methods was sharpened in this hotbed of inhalation icons as public concern grew with the public interest in urban air pollution and the risk of lung cancer. Bob published several papers on inhalation methods and studies of the carcinogenicity of combustion organics, including benzo(a)pyrene and other polycyclic organics, as well as the potential for these complex organics to interact synergistically with other pollutants, such as SO2. He well appreciated the reality of mixed exposures in the real-world and where interactions may enhance lung cancer outcomes – a theme he often referred through his many years of inhalation testing. These early days of inhalation exposure science catapulted the era of Inhalation Toxicology to the forefront of the expanding discipline of toxicology as air pollution in the late ‘60s and ‘70s drew political action. The work emerging from NYU at this time provided innovative technologies for pollutant generation and measurement, and exposure designs that led to the standardization of inhalation exposure scenarios carried out to this day under the auspices of the National Toxicology Program and regulated industrial testing operations.
From NYU, Bob moved on to the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) in Research Triangle Park, NC, where from 1970–1976 he developed and managed the intramural inhalation toxicology operations for the Institute. There he developed lifetime friendships with colleagues Jack Moore and Gene McConnell. These friendships bridged professional and fun times that he often spoke about with great affection. His next 10 years were spent at Brookhaven National Laboratory where he designed de novo a state-of-the-art inhalation facility with associated biology laboratories to conduct multi-discipline air pollution studies for the Department of Energy and NIH. Bob finished his 30-year career as Director of the Health and Environmental Sciences Department at the American Petroleum Institute in Washington, DC from 1986–1997. There, he sought to connect the private and public regulatory sectors with the best available technology approaches to abate emissions from petroleum combustion processes. Along the path of his distinguished career, he was a Diplomat of the American Board of Toxicology where he also served as its President. Bob was also a recipient of the Herbert E. Stokinger award for Toxicology by the American Industrial Hygiene Association, a peer award that publically acknowledged his many scientific accomplishments and contributions.
No one would question that Bob was critical to the foundational science and engineering upon which inhalation toxicology is conducted today. He will, of course, be remembered for these achievements, but it is Bob Drew, the person, who will be best remembered. Bob was a jovial person; he was not superficial, but rather saw the good and potential in all people and found something to laugh about regardless of circumstances. His laugh was infectious and the meetings, he called were something to look forward to rather than dread – as most are. For those who worked for him, there was a sense of trust. He hired folks for their skills, creativity, and work ethic. Each person was given tasks and responsibilities with expectations and encouragement to collaborate to broaden the impact of their work and provide new perspectives. Always, the common goal was to work toward producing good meaningful science. What those who worked with him would recall was his sense of family – not that work-life was without trivial strife from time to time – but the emphasis was always to produce meaningful results that addressed important energy pollutant issues and, all the while, hold true a celebration of collective success and having fun.
These same affable traits followed Bob in all his ventures. He loved Girl Scouting, helping for decades, his wife Connie along with his three daughters. Likewise, for many years after retirement, he embedded himself in Habitat for Humanity, first in Virginia and then South Carolina. He also worked with countless other volunteer community and church groups where his contributions ranged from building prayer benches for churches destroyed by Hurricane Katrina to constructing and testing filtration systems for Water Mission International. At his core, his life-long passion for science inspired a love of learning in his children, who have all sought careers and interests based on science, teaching, public service, and appreciation for the natural environment. No one would question that Bob Drew was anything but a caring, talented, and energetic individual – even in his quest for good fishing.
Bob Drew was indeed a colleague, mentor-boss, and most importantly a friend to whom many scientists owe much gratitude for both personal career development and an upbeat, positive outlook on life. All who knew Bob knew him for his laugh and its soft trigger. As a scientist role model, he showed that one can truly mix in one person, a good heart with intelligence and the strength of character to meet whatever professional challenges come one’s way.