At the time of his death, Schnaiberg was Professor Emeritus of Sociology at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois.

[1] According to his curriculum vitae, he "Attended McGill University for four years, majoring in Chemistry and minoring in Mathematics.

"[2] He received his Ph.D. in Sociology from the University of Michigan in 1968; his dissertation was entitled "Some determinants and consequences of modernism in Turkey".

He was the author of over 70 scholarly articles and books on topics ranging from globalization and the environment to labor and social inequality.

Schnaiberg received the Distinguished Contribution Award of the Section on Environment and Technology, American Sociological Association, in 1984.