Dr. Robert Resnick (Late – January 29, 2014) was a physics teacher and author of many best-selling physics textbooks.

He graduated from the Baltimore City College high school in 1939. He received his B.A. in 1943 and his Ph.D. in 1949, both in physics from Johns Hopkins University. From 1949 to 1956, he was a member of the faculty at the University of Pittsburgh, where he first met Dr. David Halliday, with whom he wrote his most widely read textbook. He later became a professor at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and was head of the interdisciplinary science curriculum for 15 years. During his years at RPI, Resnik authored or co-authored 7 textbooks on quantum physics, relativity, and general physics, which have been translated into more than 47 languages. It is estimated that over 11 million students have studied from his textbooks. Now in its 10th edition in a 5-volume set revised by Dr. Jearl Walker, and under the title Fundamentals of Physics, it is still very highly regarded. It is noted for its very thorough but highly readable pedagogy, clear standardized diagrams, outlook into modern physics, and challenging, thought-provoking problems. In 2002 the American Physical Society named the book the most outstanding introductory physics textbook of the 20th century.