Donald Van Norman Roberts

Donald Van Norman Roberts (June 13, 1928 – January 31, 2016) was a civil, geotechnical and environmental engineer from the United States, and advocate for sustainability developments in engineering. he attended a civil engineering and geology graduate program at the Imperial College of the University of London, England. At the Royal School of Mines, he completed courses in engineering geology and advanced courses in stratigraphy and mineralogy.

On April 9, 1951, Roberts married Charleen Doty in Dawlish, South Devon England. They had four children: Jean Leston, Alice Lynn, Alan Emery, and James Frederick.

Professional career

Roberts worked at Dames & Moore from 1951 to 1987.

Roberts was one of the earliest in the engineering profession to develop the principles of sustainability. and on efforts to encourage cooperation between engineering professionals and environmentalists to solve environmental problems. His keynote presentation in 1990 on the need for sustainability in engineering stimulated efforts in the United States by major engineering societies such as the American Society of Civil Engineers. outlined the challenge of sustainability for engineers, and suggested ways in which environmentally friendly approaches and sustainability can be achieved in engineering education. Roberts' keynote influenced the current concerns over global warming and stimulated changes in the engineering curricula in America. In 2001, he became vice president of the World Federation of Engineering Organizations, In 2003, WFEO awarded Roberts the Gold Medal, ‘for outstanding service to humanity’.