Wayne Umbreit is a microbiologist and biochemist. He obtained his Ph.D. in both subjects from the University of Wisconsin, taught there and at Cornell. Was with the Merck Institute for 10 years and became associate director. In 1958, returned to academic life as head of the Department of Microbiology at Rutgers University. He traveled throughout the world on government commissions, especially in the Soviet Union. He gave courses at least a month long in microbiology, especially in India, Egypt, Puerto Rico, and Chile. He retired in 1983 and has lived in retirement homes for over a decade.