Rob has an undergraduate degree in physics and spent his career at the US Patent and Trademark Office working on intellectual property in a number of areas, most importantly in aeronautics and astronautics.  (Ironically, he said since the latter includes circular aircraft, he can state he worked on flying saucers for the government.)  His UFO involvement goes back to 1968 during what he called his larval stage, when ongoing sightings and the University of Colorado UFO study permanently nailed his attention.  Once he arrived in the DC area with the PTO, he joined the Fund for UFO Research and subsequently was elected to the executive committee of that organization.  Around 2006 as the Fund wound down due to the rise of the Internet and other factors (it still exists as an organization, however, although at the moment it's largely dormant), he was asked to join MUFON's board of directors, and continues to serve there to this day.