Featured Friar: Earl Faria ’85
Earl Faria is a 1985 chemistry graduate from Providence, who owns and operates an industrial paint and coatings company, Spectrum Coatings. Having gone to Catholic schools for the entirety of his education, Mr. Faria wanted to continue his Catholic education by attending Providence College. His family’s ownership of Spectrum Coatings, as well as in innate interest in Chemistry, lead him to the chemistry program at Providence.
While at Providence, Mr. Faria recalls being challenged by the chemistry program here, but it was through these challenges that he became knowledgeable in this subject area. While he does not have a PhD in chemistry, the critical thinking skills that he gained from the Chemistry program at Providence allow him to be on par with many PHD’s in his field of work.
Mr. Faria’s fondest memories were from the Albertus Magnus lab, as he and the other chemistry majors spent lots of time there. The most important part of the lab were the people instructing them.
Two favorite professors of Mr. Faria’s were Dr. Carl Baer and Dr. Mark Rerrick, to whom he credits a lot. It was from Dr. Baer that Mr. Faria learned how to think critically about problems, and it was from Dr. Rerrick that he learned chemical analysis; it is this specialty that constitutes a large portion of his work today. While Dr. Baer and Dr. Rerrick were the toughest teachers for Mr. Faria, they were also the most impactful.
After graduating from Providence College, Mr. Faria found himself doing graduate work at North Dakota State University in their Polymer Science Program. After this graduate work, he eventually took over the head role at his family’s company, Spectrum Coatings.
Today, Mr. Faria continues to run a business that his father started in 1973, here in his home state of Rhode Island. Mr. Faria fills multiple roles at his company, including: production, research, and quality control.
More specifically, Spectrum Coatings provides services in the military and aerospace industry, through researching, formulating, and producing aerospace primers and topcoats, including projects such as the production of Radar Cross Section, EMI and RMI shielding coatings. Spectrum Coatings also played large roles in making the Tomahawk Cruise Missile and B-2 Bomber Plane stealth.
To future chemistry students at Providence College, Mr. Faria recommends not specializing too soon, as this can limit options later on. While knowledge of the basics and theories of chemistry are important, Mr. Faria finds that the real answers are found through doing bench work. It is through his education in chemistry at Providence College that Mr. Faria has been able to accomplish everything that he has done up to the present day.
