William Jewell, Professor Emeritus in Biological and Environmental Engineering at Cornell University, traces the arc of his professorial career as a teacher and researcher. His early interests in environmental issues, under-girded by his early interests in utilizing higher plants as a remediation tool, led him to some unique areas of research and teaching interests. He was one of the early explorers of how to blend his academic interests in environmental and ecological engineering with an entrepreneurial direction. He reflects upon the joys and miseries associated with his pioneering work that straddles the two distinctly different cultures of academia and the world of commerce.