Auburn engineers abroad: Embracing our interactive world with one chemical engineering alumnus

Joe Barth’s 33-year career with Exxon Mobil included work in Jamaica, Thailand, Mexico, Aruba and the Bahamas, just to name a few stops. Now semi-retired, he keeps his travel up with various trips for speaking engagements at conferences and mentoring with various companies. 

Born and raised in Maryland, Barth credits his family with kick-starting his successful career. While they didn’t have the means to travel expansively during his childhood, they did so within the Mid_Atlantic, growing his innate interest in travel. After taking German language classes in high school, his interest in other languages grew as well.

“The world has just become so much more interactive from the food we eat to the services we use,” Barth said. “I think it’s vital that we can get along with and relate to people from other places.”

While at Auburn pursuing a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering, Barth spent two years in Army ROTC, worked a co-op for six quarters with Eastman Chemical Company in Kingsport, Tennessee and took an internship in Lake Charles, Louisiana. He believes these various experiences helped grow his curiosity.

After graduating in 1971, he moved to Houston and joined the company that would eventually become Exxon Mobil. Texas would remain his homebase for the majority of his career, though he traveled regularly and even spent time living in Jamaica and Thailand.

“Travel to and living in other countries has made me a lot more open and accepting of my limitations as well as the experiences of others,” he said. 

Barth spent another 12 years in consulting with Solomon Associates in Dallas, spending more than 80% of the time travelling internationally, before retiring from full-time work. Since then, Barth has taken on a myriad of freelance consulting and teaching opportunities, attending conferences in Switzerland, Spain and more. All-in-all, he counts 103 countries he has visited.

Though still living in Dallas, Barth is proud to stay involved with Auburn Engineering. He has managed to stay in touch with many of his former class of ’71 classmates and professors, and supports current students through the Joseph F. and Gail Barth Endowment for the Barth-Hirth Chemical Engineering Scholarship he and his wife, Gail, established.

“I am very proud of my continuing involvement with Auburn,” he said.