Robert Vopat is the Founder and Executive Director of Texas Venomous Creatures. With more than 30 years of semiconductor industry experience, a background in robotics, and formal training in electrical engineering, Robert brings deep technical expertise to wildlife education and public safety. His engineering career spans advanced automation, control systems, and the design of complex systems. — skills he now applies to creating safe, mobile educational exhibits that serve communities across Texas.

Robert’s connection to wildlife began early. As an avid backcountry hiker with years of YMCA camp, 4-H camp and Boy Scout experience, he learned to identify and safely navigate encounters with venomous creatures as a youth. Those early experiences shaped his lifelong respect for Texas wildlife and inspired the mission behind Texas Venomous Creatures: replace fear with knowledge.

Today, Robert leads the development of Texas’s first engineered mobile venomous‑creature exhibit, delivering hands‑on science education directly to schools and communities statewide. His goal is simple — protect both people and animals through understanding.