AMHERST, Mass. - The University of Massachusetts Amherst will award six honorary degrees during its undergraduate and graduate commencement ceremonies May 23-24. Among them will be two alumni of the College of Natural Resources and the Environment.

Charles Feldberg, in his 35 years at Bestfoods, the multinational manufacturer of consumer food products, has become known as one of the top leaders in food science and marketing. At plants in 63 countries, Bestfoods produces well-known products, including Hellmann's mayonnaise, Mazola oil and Skippy peanut butter. During a career that included both scientific and business positions with multinational responsibility, Feldberg rose to become Bestfoods' vice president for health, safety and quality assurance. He was responsible for implementing standards for food quality, safety and regulatory compliance for company operations worldwide, as well as for worker health, safety and security.

Feldberg was elected a fellow of the Institute of Food Technologists in 1992. For more than 25 years he was an adviser to the United Nations' food standards program. He has also served as senior adviser on scientific affairs (including food safety and regulatory issues) for the Grocery Manufacturers of America and as an adjunct professor of marketing at C.W. Post College of Long Island University. Feldberg's support for the food science program at UMass Amherst has been deep and enduring, and includes long service as a member and the founding chair of its alumni advisory board.

David Pimentel has pursued a lifetime of scientific research in such areas as basic population ecology, ecological and economic aspects of pest control, biological control, biotechnology, sustainable agriculture, land and water conservation, natural resource management and environmental policy. He is internationally recognized as an authority on interactions between humans and the environment. He urges policy makers to "consider the future while there is still time to make meaningful changes" to enhance sustainability, ensure the food supply and create innovative technology for energy production.

A professor emeritus of ecology and agricultural science at Cornell University, Pimentel is a prolific author. His two dozen books include The Pesticide Question, which explains that while modern agriculture cannot completely do without synthetic chemicals. U.S. pesticide use might be reduced by at least 35 percent without reducing crop yields, and Food, Energy and Society, which points the way toward achieving the necessary balance between basic human needs and environmental resources. Pimentel has also written some 600 scientific articles and served on committees for the National Academy of Sciences, the President's Science Advisory Council, the Office of Technology Assessment of the U.S. Congress, the U.S. State Department and the U.S. departments of Agriculture, Energy, and Health, Education and Welfare. After receiving his bachelor's degree here in 1948, Pimentel earned a Ph.D. from Cornell in 1951 and did postdoctoral work at Oxford University and the University of Chicago.