Ph.D.
M.S.
S.M.
B.Sc.

California Institute of Technology
California Institute of Technology
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Imperial College, University of London

Environmental Engineering Science
Environmental Engineering Science
Mechanical Engineering
Mechanical Engineering

1977
1972
1970
1968

Professional Interests

Dr. Roberts' main areas of interest are environmental fluid mechanics, hydraulics, and coastal engineering. In particular, numerical modeling and experimental studies of pollutant mixing and transport, and the dynamics and mixing processes of rivers, lakes, estuaries, and coastal waters. He has extensive international experience in marine wastewater disposal and has served as a consultant to Government and Private organizations on the design of ocean outfalls, review of wastewater and sanitation schemes, mathematical modeling, and the design and data interpretation of oceanographic programs. These include projects in Sydney, Hong Kong, Singapore, Rio de Janeiro, Chile, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Boston, Seattle, and San Francisco. His mathematical models and modeling techniques have been adopted by the U.S. EPA and are widely used. He is a regular lecturer at the EPA Mixing Zone Workshops, and on outfall design for the World Bank and the Pan American Health Organization.

Present research interests include the development of innovative instrumentation to study turbulent mixing in stratified fluids. These techniques are now finding applications in new areas, including biological fluid mechanics and chaotic mixing. He was awarded the Collingwood Prize of ASCE in 1980, and was UPS Foundation Visiting Professor at Stanford University in 1994.