Robert C. Waters , DSc

Professor Emeritus of Engineering Management

Office: 1776 "G" Street, Room 165.

Tel: (202)-994-3791

Fax: (202)-994-0245

Email: rwaters@gwu.edu

Website: http://www.gwu.edu/emse/program/masters/etm.html

Office Hours : By request via email to schedule an appointment.

Education

• DBA Business Economics, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, 1968;
• MBA Operations Analysis, University of California, L.A., 1963;
• BS Mechanical Engineering, University of California, L.A., 1956

Research Interests

Current Projects

Biography

Following graduation from University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) with a B.S. in mechanical engineering, Dr. Waters joined the General Electric Company on the three year Manufacturing Management Program. After completing the program, he became a supervisor in the Instrumentation Shop of the Jet Engine Department, where he supervised the work of 24 instrumentation mechanics and test machinists installing strain, pressure and temperature sensing devices in development engines. Later, he joined the Space Technology Laboratories (now TRW Systems Group) as a cost effectiveness engineer conducting economic and technical studies of alternative space and weapon systems. Subsequently, he moved into the market planning and research function. His responsibilities progressively expanded until he was the market planning manager for the Systems Laboratory. This included developing marketing analyses for product line development plans, new product plans, competition and customer analysis, and assessment of market potential of diversification and acquisition proposals of the laboratory.

In 1968, he joined the Resource Management Corporation as a Senior Research Analyst. His principal contribution was conducting the statistical cost analysis of U.S. Navy destroyer maintenance, repair and overhaul operations. The results were incorporated into the design of the Spruance class destroyer. He then joined Engineering and Management Sciences Corporation as a vice president. He performed general management consulting and directed the transportation related work. His clients included the ports of Portland, OR; San Diego, CA; Everett, WA; Los Angeles, CA; and the American Association of Port Authorities.

In 1972, he started his full time academic career at the University of Missouri-Rolla as an associate professor of engineering management. In 1976, he was assigned, via an American Council on Education Fellowship, to the U.S. Water Resources Council, initially as Chairman, Economics Committee.

He joined the George Washington University in 1979 where he has taught applied economics and management topics, and has been the lead professor for courses in management of research and development, transportation management, and finance. His research has been sponsored, at various times, by the Corps of Engineers, the departments of the Interior and Transportation. Also, he has been a consultant to the Federal Railroad Administration and the U.S. Water Resources Council. He was chair of the Department of Engineering Management, 1984 through 1989 and 1997 through 2000. He was a visiting professor in the Anderson Graduate School of Management, UCLA, during 1988, where he taught production management and a visiting professor, Graduate School, Webb Institute, Glen Cove, NY, 1996-1997. During 2007, Waters was a visiting professor at the Institute of Business Administration, Karachi, Pakistan.

Journal Puplications

1. Leadership and Its Consequences: Technological Change in the Longshore Industry, INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS, Vol. 32, No. 2 (Spring 1993), pp. 262-271.
   
   
2. Federal Regulations and the Competitiveness of U.S. Liner Ship Operators, TRANSPORTATION JOURNAL, Vol. 32, No. 1 (Fall 1993), pp. 53-58.
   
   
3. Engineering Management Tradition and Education: Past, Present, and Future, ENGINEERING MANAGEMENT JOURNAL, Vol. 6, No. 3 (Sept 1994), pp. 5-8.
   
   
4. "U.S. Maritime: Can It Compete," TRANSPORTATION QUARTERLY, Eno Transportation Foundation, Inc. Landsdowne, VA, Vol. 49, No. 1 (Winter 1995), pp. 33-44.
   
   
5. "Technological Cycle Time Indicator as a Measure of the Pace of Technological Progress in Superconductor Technology," in IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON ENGINEERING MANAGEMENT, Vol. 46, No.2 (May 1999), pp. 127-131, (with Aymen A. Kayal).
   
   
6. "Adam Smith on Management," in BUSINESS AND SOCIETY REVIEW, [with Philip C. Koenig], May/June 2002, Vol. 107, No. 2, pp. 241-253.
   
   
7. "What Happened to Bouldings Evolutionary Economics?" JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC ISSUES, Vol. 15, No. 2 (June 2006), pp. 465-472.
   
   
8. "Evolution of Leadership Development at General Electric," ENGINEERING MANAGEMENT JOURNAL, Vol. 21, No.1 (March 2009), pp. 42-46.

Conference Proceedings

1. "Evolutionary Perspective for Engineering Management Students," 22nd National Conference, American Society for Engineering Management, Huntsville, AL, Oct. 10, 2001, pp. 1-5.
   
   
2. "Evolutionary Perspective: A Guide for Action," Proceedings of the 2002 Americam Society for Engineering Education Annual Conference, Montreal, Canada, June 19, 2002, Session 3142, CD-ROM.
   
   
3. "Strategy for the Long Term: GE and J&J," Proceedings of the 23nd National Conference, American Society for Engineering Management, Tampa, FL, Oct. 3, 2002, pp. 589-596.
   
   
4. "Implications of GOOD TO GREAT for Engineering Managers," Proceedings of the 24th National Conference, American Society for Engineering Management, St. Louis, MO, Oct. 17, 2003, pp. 238-241.
   
   
5. "What Has Made GE Special," 26th American Society for Engineering Management National Conference Proceedings, October 26-29, 2005, VA Beach, CD-ROM TS7 Track 2, pp. 593-598.
   
   
6. "Case Writing at the Pakistan International Airlines," 29th American Society for Engineering Management National Conference, West Point, NY, November 13, 2008, Track 2, Session 3, CR-ROM.

Technical Reports

1. "A rationale for port industrial development activities" The American Association of Port Authorities, Committee II Standardization and Special Research,1980 Annual Report, published by URS/Coverdale and Colpitts, NYC, Oct. 1980.
   
   
2. Evaluation of Selected Proposals for Improvements in Unit Grain Train Processing at the Houston Gateway, final report to the Federal Railroad Administration under Order No. DTFR53-80-P-00114, 22 Dec.1980.
   
   
3. Nonstructural Alternatives for Inland and Deep Water Navigation Planning, prepared for the U.S. Water Resources Council, July 1981, available from the Nat. Tech. Info. Service as PB82-189606.
   
   
4. An Evaluation of Recreational Benefits and Use Estimating Models for Water Resource Planning, prepared for the Department of the Interior under OWRTA-012DC(1), October 1981, available from the Nat. Tech. Info. Service as PB82-198003. (With V. Moustakis)
   
   
5. Assessment of the State-of-the Art and Development of Proposed Improvements in Recreation Benefits Valuation for Water Resources Planning, prepared for the Dept. of the Interior under OWRT A-018-DC(1), February 1983, available from the Nat. Tech. Info. Service as PB83-181974.(With V. Moustakis)
   
   
6. Derivation of Unit-Day-Values for Recreation Benefit Valuation in Water Resource Planning Based on a Comprehensive Theoretical Framework, Water Research Center, University of the District of Columbia, DC, WRRC Report No. 58, July 1984.(With Ramiro Valderrama) "Evaluation of Maritime Protection Proposals on U.S. Bulk Trade," Planning and Research Committee, The American Association of Port Authorities, 1984 Report, URS/Coverdale and Colpitts, Inc., New York City, Sept. 1984, pp. 37-46.