Robert G. Bill was a researcher in fire and fire protection for twenty-five years at FM Global, a major industrial and commercial mutual property insurer which operates the world's largest full-scale fire research facility. There, he was Assistant Vice President and Director of Research for Fire Hazards and Protection, overseeing research in areas of flammability, fire spread, material reactivity, and fire protection systems. Previous to joining FM Global, he was an Assistant Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Columbia University conducting research in turbulent combustion. He holds BS, MS and PhD degrees in Mechanical Engineering from Cornell University. His publications include research in the areas of fluid mechanics, micro-meteorology, combustion, and fire protection. In 1994 and 2003, he received the National Fire Protection Association's Bigglestone Award for communication of scientific concepts in fire protection. From 2002 to 2008 he served on the executive committee of the International Association for Fire Safety Science and in 2009 was elected as a lifetime honorary member equivalent to the grade of Fellow of the Society of Fire Protection Engineering. Now retired, Dr. Bill enjoys time with family, community volunteering, playing the violin, singing in his church choir, and walking his fox terrier. He is the author of Images of Mathematics Viewed Through Number, Algebra, and Geometry.
