Robert William Schmieder, Ph.D.

Founder and Expedition Leader of Cordell Expeditions, a nonprofit research group begun in 1977. The group is responsible for the creation of the Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuary and for numerous publications in field science.

Expeditions: Creator and Expedition Leader of the expeditions to Cordell Bank 1978-86; Pt. Sur 1987-88, 1991; Farallon Islands, 1989,1992; Rocas Alijos 1990, 1993; Peter I Island, Antarctica, 1994; Easter Island/Salas y Gómez, 1995; Galapagos, 1996; Heard Island, Antarctica, 1997; San Felix Island, Chile, 2002, Kure Atoll 2005. Active in Islands on the Air (IOTA), having activated five "New Ones": Farallons, Guadalupe, Roqueta, Northern California Group, and Central California Group. Awarded DXpedition of the Year three times (1994, 1995, 1997).

Books: Ecology of an Underwater Island; Edward Cordell and the Discovery of Cordell Bank; 3YØPI Peter I Island 1994 DXpedition; Rocas Alijos; DX-Aku: Messages from the 1995 Easter Island Expedition; VKØIR Heard Island Expedition; XRØX The 2002 Expedition to San Felix.

Honors: Schmieder Bank (a rocky bank in the eastern Pacific), Codium schmiederi (an alga), Erylus schmiederi (a sponge), Pharia pyramidata schmiederi (a starfish), and Megalomphalus schmiederi (a gastropod). NAUI Environmental Award; Life member of the Central Arizona DX Association; CQ Amateur Radio Hall of Fame.

Activities: Fellow of the Explorers Club and former Chairman of its Northern California Chapter. Explorers Club Golden GateAway Chairman 1996, 1998. Former Chairman Sierra Club Mt. Diablo Chapter; Former East Bay Chairman Prop. 20 campaign; Currently or formerly listed in most Who's Whos in the world. Owner and operator of the documented research vessel Cordell Explorer. Extra Class radio license KK6EK. Has held radio licenses for Mexico, Falklands, King George Island (Belingshausen), Chile, and Australia.

Professional: Earned degrees in physics from Occidental College (A.B. 1963), California Institute of Technology (B.S.1963), Columbia University (M.A. 1965, PhD 1968). Member Technical Staff Sandia National Laboratories for 25 years. Founder of NanoLogic, Inc. a startup company to incorporate nanotechnology in computers. About 100 technical publications, 4 patents.