Obituary: Former APL Staff Member Among Virginia Tech Shooting Victims

Kevin Granata, who began his professional career at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory, was among those killed in the Virginia Tech shootings on April 16. A professor of engineering science and mechanics, he was considered one of the nation's top researchers working on movement dynamics in cerebral palsy. He was 45.

Granata joined the Lab in 1986 and worked on low-frequency performance issues for long towed arrays in the former Submarine Technology Department (now the National Security Technology Department). His initial work helped to form the justification for the series of Doppler signal suppression experiments that were conducted by APL in 1990 and 1991. He was very interested in biomechanics and left the Lab in 1989 to obtain a PhD in biomechanics from Ohio State.

"He was a bright young guy who came here from school, had a lot of energy and was very capable," Joseph S. Lombardo, his APL supervisor and now director of the Lab's Center of Excellence in Public Health and Informatics, told The Baltimore Sun. "Kevin had a very good scientific background and was able to do a substantial level of analysis."

Granata, who had received his bachelor's degree in engineering physics and electrical engineering from Ohio State and master's in physics from Purdue, went on to an esteemed career in teaching and research, first at the University of Virginia and then at Virginia Tech. He lectured nationally and internationally and had numerous publications and research grants.

A runner and cyclist, he enjoyed participating in biathlons and triathlons. He also loved reading and coaching his sons' lacrosse teams.

Survivors include his wife, Linda; two sons, Alex and Eric; a daughter, Ellen; and his parents, Mildred and Joseph Granata.

Memorials can be made to the Kevin P. Granata Memorial Trust, 1872 Pratt Drive, Blacksburg, VA 24068.

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Original Source: <a href=http://www.jhu.edu/~gazette/2007/23apr07/23obit.html> Johns Hopkins Gazette - April 23, 2007</a>

JHU Gazette Staff Member

2007-07-11

Sara Hood

Lois Perschetz <lwp@jhu.edu>

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