Edward McCarthy learned his engineering basics at University College Dublin, got his PhD at the University of Notre Dame, and joined Amoco upon graduation. In 1985, Amoco spun off Cyprus Minerals, and he led the team that developed dry friction sorting technology that was used instead of floatation to beneficiate talc in the water-sensitive Madison Valley in Montana. The group also pioneered the continuous stearate coating of ultrafine calcium carbonate in Alabama. In the 1990s, he worked with plastic compounders to develop talc-reinforced polypropylene for multiple automotive applications. He cooperated with the honeycomb cordierite producers to develop diesel and gasoline particulate filters. He has authored the talc chapter in Industrial Minerals and Rocks, served as president of the Rock Mountain Coatings Society, and has 10 US patents. Throughout his career, he has mentored many young engineers and material scientists. He is retired in California.