Emeritus Professor
Biography
Robinson is a retired Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville and is a registered professional engineer in Tennessee and Iowa. His doctoral dissertation won the 1980 Nalco Award for Significant Chemical Research in Water and Wastewater Treatment presented in conjunction with the Association of Environmental Engineering Professors.
He previously worked for the Iowa Departmental of Environmental Quality (review plans and specifications for water plants and mains), Iowa Department of Transportation, and Iowa State University and has worked as a consultant for several industries. He has also served as chair and member of several national professional society committees including the ASCE Water Supply Committee and AWWA's Small Systems Research Committee.
In 1995-1996 he spent 9 months at 75% time with the Risk Analysis Section, ORNL, working on several risk assessment projects. He has worked with or performed research for several agencies and firms including Saturn Corp., Martin-Marietta Energy Systems, Bechtel Environmental, FMC Corp., Tennessee Eastman Corp., IT Corp., City of Clinton Utilities, Spring City Dye and Finish, Value Line Textiles, General Filter Corporation, TN Department of Transportation, TN Department of Environment and Conservation, American Water Works Association Research Foundation, USEPA, Aqua-Dynamics, Knoxville Utilities Board, Ball Zinc Corp., State of New Jersey, U.S. DOE, Zurn Corp, Water Environment Research Foundation, and the National Park Service.
Research
Robinson's main research interests are modeling of environmental and water and wastewater systems, aqueous chemistry, physico-chemical treatment, and environmental risk assessment.
Publications
Robinson R.B., "Relative Dissolution Rates of Several Hydrated Limes," Journal of the Environmental Engineering Division, ASCE, in press for June 2001.
R. B. Robinson, "State-of-the-Art Iron and Manganese Control," Journal of the New England Water Works Association, Vol. 114, No. 3, Sept, 2000, pp 176-186.
Smoot, J., Robinson, B., McCann, M., Harwell, G., and Shubzda, J., Assessment of Stream Water Quality & Atmospheric Deposition Rates at Selected Sites in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Report Prepared for the U.S. National Park Service, Knoxville, TN: Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering, The University of Tennessee, May, 2000.
R.B. Robinson, Cox, C., and Ducker, J., "Prediction of Water Quality from Printed Wiring Board Processes," Final Report to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the UT Center for Clean Products and Clean Technologies, August, 1999.
Robinson, R.B., and Hurst, Brian, B., "Statistical Quantification of the Sources of Variance in Uncertainty Analyses," Risk Analysis Journal, Vol. 17, No. 4, 1997, pp. 447-453.