Charles Warren Boast (born 12 November 1953) is a Professor Emeritus of Soil Sciences at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Boast's prolific research in Soil Sciences includes over thirty publications from 1971 to 2008, garnering over 2000 citations and almost 8000 reads. His groundbreaking work The Myth of Nitrogen Fertilization for Soil Carbon Sequestration regarding the implications of the extensive use of Nitrogen fertilizers in modern agriculture has been cited over 740 times.
After graduating from Ames High School in 1961, Boast attended Iowa State University where in 1965 he earned a bachelors degree in Mathematics.
Realizing his passion for soil sciences and that he could parlay his mathematical prowess in agricultural studies, Boast continued at Iowa State earning a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Agronomy in 1970.
In 1970, with his coursework requirements met, Boast took his first teaching job at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign where he achieved tenure and promotions, leading to an active teaching and research career of almost 40 years, and where he continues as Professor Emeritus.
Born November 12, 1943 to Warren Boast and Ruth Jeanette Hansen Boast with brothers Tom Boast and Richard Boast completing their brood, he very early in life began nurturing what would be his life's passions - nature, science and music. In addition to being an award winning boy scout, Boast dutifully practiced and performed both piano and clarinet. Soon after completing his undergraduate studies, Boast married Carol Cunningham in 1966, and fathered two sons, Stokely James Boast (b. February 27, 1967) and Saul Thomas Boast (b. June 1, 1968). His first marriage ended in 1991, but not long thereafter courted and wooed the heart of Marsha Ruth Clinard (b. August 12, 1940). In doing so, he became the beloved step-father to Eric Lawrence Schacht (b. October 15, 1967) and Marshall Robert Schacht (b. October 21, 1969). Boast has been a fixture at music and theatre events in Central Illinois, even appearing in the Pirates of Penzance at The Station Theatre in Urbana Illinois. He became an avid Wikipedia editor. He nurtured his love and curiosity for nature and data with post-retirement employment at Wolfram Research, Inc, and Waterborne, Inc. But what has most epically defined Boast is his love for his ever expanding family. His love and welcoming of his daughters-in-law and grand-children was on full display as his extended family in its entirety gathered for his 80th birthday celebration in Urbana Illinois on November 11, 2023. Boast is beloved in his community because of his passion for family, community, the Unitarian Church, and theatre of all kinds (University, Community, and School).
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