Vita for Robert N. Anderson, Ph.D., P.E.

President, RNA Consulting, Inc.

 

Name:              Robert Neil Anderson, Ph.D., P.E., P.I.

President, RNA Consulting, Inc.     

Specializing in forensic materials engineering and sciences

Consulting, expert witness in materials failures, accident analysis

Address:         27820 Saddle Court, Los Altos Hills, CA  94022-1810

               Office: 650-949-1092              Fax: 650.949.5641      Cell/VM: 650-464-1620           

Education:      Ph.D., Metallurgy, Stanford University

M.S., Chemical Engineering, Minor Petroleum Engineering, U.C. Berkeley

            Research Assistant

B.S., Chemical Engineering, U.C. Berkeley

B.S., Chemistry, University of San Francisco

Research Assistant

Post Doctoral Research Associate in Metallurgy: Stanford University.

Patents in high temperature reprocessing of nuclear fuels, nuclear reactor, and extraction of reactive metals from their ores.

Licenses:        Registered Metallurgical Engineer, California No. 1490

Registered Nuclear Engineer, California No. 91

Private Investigators License, CA No. 14033

Consultant and Expert Witness:

More than 20 years experience in forensic materials and metallurgical consulting in accident analyses, industrial materials applications, and design failures. Consultant to legal firms, including plaintiff and defendant, and court appointed expert. Extensive deposition and courtroom experience in U.S. and Canada. Expert in electrical fire source determination, using Auger arc residue analysis. Published in professional journals. Designed and led workshops for attorneys, other experts in presentation of evidence and findings. Led teams and presented professional papers on unique archeo-materials investigations, including leader in 1995 of scientific team that performed research on the cause of the 1913 fire that destroyed Jack London’s famed “Wolfhouse.” At the request of the government of India, investigated and advised on procedures to slow the degradation of the Taj Mahal. Experienced in multiple engineering disciplines and the potential impacts of materials, high temperature, environmental, and circumstantial conditions.

Academic Positions:

Current: SJSU, Emeritus Professor, Department of Materials Engineering

SJSU, Department Chair, Professor

Stanford University, Associate Professor

Industrial Positions:

U.S. Naval Radiological Defense Laboratory, San Francisco

Operations Research Analyst, Research Engineer

Arabian American Oil Company, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, Chemist

Prior Consulting, Industrial:

FMC, accident simulation. EPRI, nuclear reprocessing. SRI, materials research. IBM, intellectual property. Memorex, hard disk technology.

Prior Consulting, Government:

Brookhaven National Lab

California State Energy, Resources & Development Commission


Executive Office of the President of the United States, Council on

Environmental Quality; Office of Science and Technology Policy

United States Congress, Office of Technology Assessment

Lawrence Livermore Lab

Smithsonian Institute, Washington, D.C.

Suffolk County, New York, consulting in nuclear plant failure

Center for Scientific and Industrial Research, Government of India,

Consultant in the degradation of Taj Mahal.

Professional Associations: Offices

American Academy of Forensic Sciences (AAFS):

Current Chairman (2004-2005) of the Engineering Sciences Section.

National Academy of Forensic Engineers (NAFE): Fellow. Past President.

The Society of Forensic Engineers and Scientists (SFES):

Founding member, 1981.Past President, 1990-1996;

Past Secretary/Treasurer.

American Institute of Metallurgical Engineers:

Past Chairman of Northern California Section.

Past Chairman of the Engineering Sciences Section.

American Nuclear Society: Past Student Affairs Chairman.

Other Professional Affiliations:

International Association of Arson Investigators

National Society for Professional Engineers

National Associate of Corrosion Engineers

Society of Plastics Engineers

Society for the Advancement of Material and Process Engineering

Society of Automotive Engineers

Society of Wood Science and Technology

American Society for Metals

American Chemical Society

American Institute of Chemical Engineering

American Ceramic Society

American Welding Society

American Institute of Archaeology

The Forensic Society, England

The Materials Research Society

Professional Honor Organizations: Alpha Chi Sigma, Tau Beta Pi,  Sigma Xi

 

Special Interests:

Archeo-materials: Developed university courses. Presented research on

archeological investigation and materials study.

Firearms and arson investigation: Published professional papers.

Determine cause of fires through analysis of electrical arc residues,

using Auger spectroscopy.

1996 Conference chairman at International Association of Forensic Sciences in

Tokyo, Japan. Presented/published a paper on prisoner-made blowgun.

                        High temperature study and consultant on nuclear fuels.

Frequent speaker:

·         Rotary Clubs International chapters on forensic science

and its relationship to business and industrial materials conditions.

·         High schools and elementary schools on the profession of forensic engineering and sciences.