Bob Smilowitz has decades of experience in protective design, structural vulnerability assessments, and blast engineering for U.S. embassies, federal courthouses and office buildings, airline terminals, and a wide range of institutional and commercial facilities worldwide. A recognized authority in protective design and security engineering, Bob has led the analysis and design of blast-resistant structures and security upgrades for some of the world’s most high-profile buildings and critical infrastructure.

His experience includes protective design upgrades for the United Nations in New York City, hardened facade retrofits for the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, and security hardening for NATO headquarters in Brussels, Belgium. Bob also served on the ASCE/FEMA Building Performance Assessment Team, which documented the behavior of the World Trade Center following the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. He played a key role in the redevelopment of Lower Manhattan by helping establish and implement physical security criteria for the reconstruction of nearly all new buildings at the World Trade Center site.

In 2025, Bob was elected to the National Academy of Engineering in recognition of his contributions to protective design, vulnerability assessment, threat mitigation, and building standards development.