Robert J. Koester first joined the Appalachian Search & Rescue Conference in 1981 and since then has participated in hundreds of searches. He holds a Master of Science degree in biology (neurobiology) from the University of Virginia. His contributions to search and rescue include seminal research on lost person behavior (with emphasis on dementia) and the creation of the International Search and Rescue Incident Database (ISRID). A Type 1 incident commander, instructor for the Virginia Department of Emergency Management, and past president of the Virginia Search and Rescue Council, Robert has also worked for the United States Coast Guard, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, National Park Service, and Federal Emergency Management Agency. Author of numerous books and articles on search and rescue. He has presented in Australia, Canada, Iceland, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and throughout the United States.