Funding to academic institutions such as Universities, by private concerns such as multi-national corporations is always going to be controversial. The exponents of this type of funding argue that it encourages universities to produce graduates that are useful to the businesses that employ them. Opponents argue that it provides an avenue for commercial enterprise to influence academic research, academic staff and even curriculum. It is certainly true to say that the commercial businesses that are providing the funding have an expectation of a return of some description to their investment.
Am example. A multi-national corporation that manufactures and sells a synthetic compound that is a replacement for a natural or organic product funds a science faculty of a university. Academic staff in that faculty could perform research into the organic product and skew the results of that “research” to appeal to their sponsors commercial expectations. It would be naive to think that this could not happen. The academic staff know the hand that feeds them and that being obedient may result in more funds.
The above former Professor is accused of fraud in relation to his “work” on ambergris. The University of Plymouth has been aware for some time of Steven J Rowland’s fraudulent conduct and has also had him under investigation. A result of this was his “voluntary redundancy”, an act of damage control.
The university of Plymouth is not prepared to stand by his alleged “research” into ambergris. Instead it attempts to distance itself from this by referring to it as a “hobby”, in their inverted comma’s. But as the university is well aware there is no such thing as “hobby” in Steven J Rowland’s alleged “research” into ambergris.
On or about 4 August 2017 nineteen samples of authentic ambergris were sent to the University of Plymouth and were received by (then) Professor Steven Rowland. On 24 August Steven Rowland provided the following false certificate of analysis on University of Plymouth letterhead,
Ambergris Beware believes that when Prof. Steven Rowland refers to “we” and “us” he is referring to the University Of Plymouth. It is possible also that he refers to other academic staff involved in the alleged analysis. Regardless this is not a “hobby”. This is a formal process performed by the University of Plymouth. As can be seen on Steven Rowland’s university profile he has published two journals and two articles relating to his alleged work on ambergris whilst at Plymouth. This is not the process of a “hobby”.
An example of Prof. Steven Rowland’s publication can be seen below.
His “Acknowledgements” read like a who’s-who on the ambergris scamming circuit. Ambergris Connect Ltd is a scam shell company that does not trade and this fact was well known to Prof. Steven Rowland. Tony Wells and his partner are con artists. It boggles the mind to think what Prof. Steven Rowland stood to gain from “valuable discussions” with two ambergris scammers who know little about ambergris.
This article was submitted 16 July 2018 meaning the “samples” would have been gathered and analysed at least a few weeks before. Mustafa Kassim (sample collector) presents himself as a novice to ambergris on 16 March 2018 whilst posting on FAPG. Less than four months later he is sample collecting for the University of Plymouth. And this is a man that cannot tell white ambergris from black ambergris.
Recently Ambergris Beware wrote to the University of Plymouth to advise them of the matter referred to in the commentary. We requested a position of the university regarding Steven Rowland’s unlawful conduct whilst in their employ. They have not responded, which is unfortunate as it is often those who are complicit in the offending that attempt to protect their co-offenders. Those who are not involved are usually quick to distance themselves from the offender.
However Ambergris Beware believes that Prof. Steven Rowland did not perform a GC-MS test at all on the ambergris samples sent to him 4 August 2017. In fact for the record Ambergris Beware confirms that Prof. Steven Rowland simply issued a false certificate of analysis without testing and then gave the ambergris to his co-offenders -Tony Wells and Jo Smith to sell on their scam Ambergris Connect site. We do not believe that he involved others at the university in this simply because he did not conduct a test. Ambergris Beware believes that the university is aware of this. If it does have evidence of the test occurring then it will need to produce such, including the names of those involved.
Below is Steven Rowland’s latest scam.
Its called re-inventing the wheel. We all know that a hens egg comes from a hen. But do we? We merely see the egg after it has been laid thus forming the conclusion that the hen laid it. This is not enough for anthropologist student – Ruairidh Macleod. He, and his “staff” had to poke their heads into the hen to determine that the egg is its egg. They knew that ambergris came from sperm whales and now they know that ambergris comes from sperm whales. One of the numerous curious aspects of this “research” is Ruairidh Macleod. He is a third year anthropologist student. It seems a great distance from digging holes in Vietnam to leading DNA research into a marine biological substance. But then the solution to this puzzle could lie in the presence of Steven Rowland and the following quote in the New York Times;
That looks very familiar. It is almost identical to Steven Rowland’s rant in his 2017 abstract were he sought ambergris for his alleged “tests” using GCMS. We know where that led to. Steven Rowland received at least 19 samples from one donor alone, and undoubtedly gave them all to his associates in Ambergris Connect.
WARNING; DO NOT GIVE AMBERGRIS TO RUAIRIDH MACLEOD OR STEVEN ROWLAND OR OTHERS INVOLVED IN THIS SHAM. It will not be used for “scientific use”.
Ruairidh Macleod could well be Steven Rowland’s new acolyte and front man now that he has lost his job and is disreputable. Ruairidh Macleod could be looking for fame or he could be what he has described himself in his profile at the University of Copenhagen.
There is little wonder that the University of Plymouth is reluctant to support Steven Rowland’s “research” into ambergris, preferring to call it a “hobby” (their inverted commas). His theory that ambergris is formed in the stomach of the whale due to squid beaks is utter rubbish and he knows it. Such rubbish leads to the following recent quote from various online media:
It is no small coincidence that the inclusion of squid beaks is made. Steven Rowland’s theory implies that sperm whales only make ambergris when they eat squid. This is consistent with the online scammers associated with Ambergris Connect who insist that all ambergris must include squid beaks. Any person familiar with sperm whales know that they eat any protein based food that they can digest. They cannot digest solids so they avoid prey with bones or other non-digestible components. Squid is a favourite as it contains only hooked beaks and quills therefore potentially posing little danger. Sharks are next on the menu, as they contain no bones and their cartilage is digestible. Because they don’t have to dive 1 – 2 kilometres down to get them (as they do with squid) sharks would be number one on their menu except for one thing , by-catch. Sperm whales still produce ambergris when feeding on sharks. That is proven beyond any doubt.
As to knowing what ambergris is, Steven Rowland and most, if nor all academics know this. The answer was provided many years ago by Robert Clarke – NZ scientist who is among the few scientists who has actually dissected a sperm whale whilst aboard a whaling ship and has gone elbows deep into a whales rectum. A sperm whale is a mammal and like most mammals (cat or dog) it produces and disperses a phenomenal substance to mark its territory and identify itself to other whales. It is extruded for the same reason that a tomcat sprays a tree or a dog lifts its leg and briefly urinates thus dispersing its pheromone. The land mammal uses a liquid based pheromone and urine as the carrier whereas the whale, living in water, uses a solid based pheromone carried by liquid feces. The ambergris is not fecal matter nor does cured jetsam ambergris contain feces.
There is certainly a campaign of denigration of ambergris by Steven Rowland’ and his co-offenders -Ambergris Connect and calling it feces is just another fiction made up to discourage the use of ambergris. No doubt his sponsors expect that this negativity of ambergris will enable then to sell more of their synthetic toxic ambrox and thus more ambroxan headaches.
Ambergris Beware is seeking the prosecution of Steven J Rowland.