Faculty Biography

 

Robert L. Goble


Research Professor in IDCE
Environmental Science & Policy
Department of International Development, Community, and Environment

IDCE House, Room 45
March Institute, Room 303
Clark University
Worcester, MA 01610-1477

(508) 793-7683 phone
(508) 751-4612 phone
email: rgoble@clarku.edu

 

Professor Goble obtained a Ph.D. in physics from the University of Wisconsin in 1967, and worked for 9 years thereafter in theoretical high energy particle physics at Minnesota, Yale, Utah, and Montana State. Beginning in 1974 he turned his interests increasingly to technology assessment, which brought him to Clark in 1976 to teach in Physics and in the STS Program (now ES&P).

Research

Goble’s first major project at Clark was the demonstration of grid-connected, community based cogeneration. This led to the gas fired diesel engine in the middle of the campus that currently provides a good fraction of Clark’s heat and electric demand at a savings of $200,000 per year. Since 1978 Professor Goble has taught several STS and ES&P courses. His publications have covered technological hazards generally, the setting of acceptable health standards, emergency evacuation around nuclear power plants, the control and regulation of environmental led, air pollution from particulate and acid deposition

His current research focuses on: information management in the search for sustainable development, with emphasis on global climate change; uncertainties in estimating health effects risks, especially for radiation; cooperation between scientists and non-scientists in risk assessment. He has served on advisory panels for the United Nations, for the National Academy of Sciences, and the community supervision of health studies. As part of his research Goble has been a principal mentor of several MA and Ph.D. students in Physics and in the STS Program--now the Environmental Science & Policy Program.