Bob is the founder and Expedition Leader of Cordell Expeditions, a nonprofit research group begun in 1977. The group is responsible for the field work that led to the designation of the Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuary. First licensed in 1962, currently Extra Class KK6EK. He has been active in Islands on the Air (IOTA), having activated five "New Ones": Farallons, NA-178; Guadalupe, NA-179; Roqueta, NA-183; Northern California Group, NA-184; and Central California Group, NA-187. Other calls he has held are XF1/KK6EK, VP8CPK, 4K1/KK6EK, CEØ/KK6EK, and VK6EKK. DXpeditions include 3YØPI (Peter I), XRØY/Z (Easter Island), VKØIR (Heard Island), XRØX (San Felix Island).

Author of 7 books derived from his expeditions. Fellow of the Explorers Club and former Chairman of its Northern California Chapter. Life member of the Central Arizona DX Association. Honors: Schmieder Bank (a rocky bank in the eastern Pacific), Codium schmiederi (an alga), Erylus schmiederi (a sponge), Pharia pyramidata schmiederi (a starfish), and Megomphalus schmiederi (a gastropod). Over the past 30 years, he has been listed in almost every Who's Who in the world. Owner and operator of a research vessel, the Cordell Explorer.

Professionally a physicist, with more than 100 technical publications. Member of the Technical Staff at Sandia National Laboratories for 25 years, where he did research on laser/matter interaction, combustion physics and chemistry, plasma device simulations, simulation of collective dynamics of complex systems, and nanotechnology. In 1997 he left Sandia to found a startup company, NanoLogic, Inc. The company is developing intellectual property for incorporating nanotechnology in computers.