Bob is well known for his work on solar water pasteurization and solar cookers in many countries. He has been able to confirm that contaminated water need only be heated to 65 °C (149 °F) to make it safe to drink, whereas it is commonly thought that water has to be boiled for up to 20 minutes to render it safe. Bob was selected as the 2000-2001 Outstanding Teacher in the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics at California State University in Sacramento, California. Award criteria include teaching effectiveness and impact on the lives and careers of students.