division since 2009.
He is a dedicated family man. He and wife Lucinda have been married for 27 years and have two sons: Ethan, a sophomore at UT Dallas, and Adam, a senior at Pflugerville High School. They have lived in Pflugerville for 18 years, where he is active in his church and in the Boy Scouts. His hobby is woodworking, although he admits it’s hard to find time to pursue it as much as he would like.
Dr. Honeycutt joined the TCEQ after working for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in Mississippi. He has a bachelor’s degree and Ph.D. in toxicology from the University of Louisiana at Monroe.
Dr. Honeycutt is a full member of the Society of Toxicology, a worldwide professional and scholarly organization of scientists from academic institutions, government, and industry representing the great variety of scientists who practice toxicology in the U.S. and abroad.
He has co-authored scientific articles on a wide variety of toxicological subjects in a number of scientific journals, and is cited three times in the Encyclopedia of Toxicology. Dr. Honeycutt has given invited testimony before the U.S. House of Representatives four times, and has appeared before the Texas Legislature numerous times.
He frequently participates on committees, boards, workshops and panels, and has presented at dozens of symposia and conferences across the United States.
“I consider myself extremely lucky to be leading our team of 15 toxicologists,” he said. “No state has a more dedicated, distinguished team of scientists committed to serving its citizens. The excellence of their work in setting safe exposure levels for a wide variety of chemicals and compounds is recognized when these levels are adopted by many other states and countries.”
“I love my job,” he said. “As a scientist, I love following the facts to a conclusion, even if it is contrary to accepted wisdom.”
Dr. Honeycutt says his data aren’t always welcome. “I was cussed out by the mayor of a West Texas town when I told him to shut down the town’s water supply because of contamination. And I pushed the agency to do a large-scale monitoring survey in the Barnett Shale when I saw a couple of benzene readings that were concerning to me.”
“I always tell people, ‘Show me where I’m wrong,’ and I’m willing to accept it if they do. That’s the definition of science. I also love the fact that I’m expected to interpret data objectively. I don’t have to hype data in hopes of getting a grant or donations to fund my position,” said Dr. Honeycutt.
Sky image © iStock collection/Thinkstock.
Note: article updated 10/9/2014.