Kevin P. Granata (December 29, 1961 – April 16, 2007) was an American

professor Professor (commonly abbreviated as Prof.) is an Academy, academic rank at university, universities and other tertiary education, post-secondary education and research institutions in most countries. Literally, ''professor'' derives from Latin ...

in multiple departments including the Departments of

Engineering Engineering is the practice of using natural science, mathematics, and the engineering design process to Problem solving#Engineering, solve problems within technology, increase efficiency and productivity, and improve Systems engineering, s ...

Science Science is a systematic discipline that builds and organises knowledge in the form of testable hypotheses and predictions about the universe. Modern science is typically divided into twoor threemajor branches: the natural sciences, which stu ...

and

Mechanics Mechanics () is the area of physics concerned with the relationships between force, matter, and motion among Physical object, physical objects. Forces applied to objects may result in Displacement (vector), displacements, which are changes of ...

(in which he was tenured) and Mechanical Engineering at

Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University The Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, commonly referred to as Virginia Tech (VT), is a Public university, public Land-grant college, land-grant research university with its main campus in Blacksburg, Virginia, United States ...

(Virginia Tech), in Blacksburg,

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the East Coast of the United States ...

. Granata held an additional academic appointment as a professor in the Virginia Tech- Wake Forest School of Biomedical Engineering and was an adjunct professor at the

University of Virginia The University of Virginia (UVA) is a Public university#United States, public research university in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States. It was founded in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson and contains his The Lawn, Academical Village, a World H ...

in the Department of Orthopedic Surgery. During the

Virginia Tech shooting The Virginia Tech shooting was a spree killer, spree shooting that occurred on Monday, April 16, 2007, comprising two attacks on the campus of the Virginia Tech, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech) in Blacksbu ...

, he shepherded students into his office in order to safeguard them. He was then killed by

Seung-Hui Cho Cho Seung-hui (; ; ; January 18, 1984 – April 16, 2007), anglicized as Seung-Hui Cho, was a South Korean mass murderer who perpetrated the Virginia Tech shooting in 2007. Cho killed 32 people and wounded 17 others with two semi-automatic pi ...

after he went to investigate and intervene.

Education and career

A native of

Toledo Toledo most commonly refers to: * Toledo, Spain, a city in Spain * Province of Toledo, Spain * Toledo, Ohio, a city in the United States Toledo may also refer to: Places Belize * Toledo District * Toledo Settlement Bolivia * Toledo, Or ...

Ohio Ohio ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Erie to the north, Pennsylvania to the east, West Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Indiana to the ...

, Granata attended St. Francis de Sales High School in Toledo, where he played football and served on the debate team for four years, graduating in 1980 with a 4.0 GPA. Granata was awarded a

bachelor's degree A bachelor's degree (from Medieval Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six years ...

in engineering physics & electrical engineering from

Ohio State University The Ohio State University (Ohio State or OSU) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Columbus, Ohio, United States. A member of the University System of Ohio, it was founded in 1870. It is one ...

in 1984, a

master's degree A master's degree (from Latin ) is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities or colleges upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional prac ...

in physics from

Purdue University Purdue University is a Public university#United States, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in West Lafayette, Indiana, United States, and the flagship campus of the Purdue University system. The university was founded ...

in 1986, and a doctorate in biomechanics from Ohio State in 1993. He began his bachelor's degree in physics at

John Carroll University John Carroll University (JCU) is a Private university, private Jesuit university in University Heights, Ohio, United States. Located in a suburb of Cleveland, it is primarily an undergraduate, liberal arts college, liberal arts institution compo ...

Cleveland Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located along the southern shore of Lake Erie, it is situated across the Canada–U.S. maritime border and approximately west of the Ohio-Pennsylvania st ...

, where he also played

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

, before transferring to Ohio State to finish the degree. After earning his master's degree from Purdue, Granata worked for three years as a research scientist in the

Applied Physics Lab The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (or simply Applied Physics Laboratory, or APL) is a not-for-profit university-affiliated research center (UARC) in Howard County, Maryland. It is affiliated with Johns Hopkins University ...

Johns Hopkins University The Johns Hopkins University (often abbreviated as Johns Hopkins, Hopkins, or JHU) is a private university, private research university in Baltimore, Maryland, United States. Founded in 1876 based on the European research institution model, J ...

. While there, he was contracted by the military and conducted research for the

US Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the naval warfare, maritime military branch, service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest Displacement (ship), displacement, at 4.5 millio ...

. Granata stayed at Ohio State for four years as a research scientist in the Biodynamics Laboratory after earning his

doctorate degree A doctorate (from Latin ''doctor'', meaning "teacher") or doctoral degree is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities and some other educational institutions, derived from the ancient formalism '' licentia docendi'' ("licence to teach ...

there in 1993. In 1997, Granata arrived at the

as an assistant professor in two departments, Orthopedics and Biomedical Engineering, where he published two journals and collaborated on a study with the Curry School of Education to determine why female athletes experience more knee injuries than their male counterparts. From 1997 to 2003, he also served as the Research Director of the Motion Analysis Laboratory at Virginia. In 2002, he was promoted to the position of associate professor for the orthopedics and biomedical engineering departments. While at Virginia, he worked at the university's Kluge Children's Rehabilitation Center with children who had

cerebral palsy Cerebral palsy (CP) is a group of movement disorders that appear in early childhood. Signs and symptoms vary among people and over time, but include poor coordination, spasticity, stiff muscles, Paresis, weak muscles, and tremors. There may b ...

. He remained an adjunct professor at Virginia after leaving for Virginia Tech in 2003.

Virginia Tech

Granata was among the leading U.S. researchers on

biomechanics Biomechanics is the study of the structure, function and motion of the mechanical aspects of biological systems, at any level from whole organisms to Organ (anatomy), organs, Cell (biology), cells and cell organelles, using the methods of mechani ...

and movement dynamics in

, in his work with the Musculoskeletal Biomechanics Laboratory at Virginia Tech. His research focused on muscle and reflex control and its relation to legged

robotics Robotics is the interdisciplinary study and practice of the design, construction, operation, and use of robots. Within mechanical engineering, robotics is the design and construction of the physical structures of robots, while in computer s ...

, neuromuscular control of musculoskeletal movement, biomechanical stability and muscle dynamics, control of low-back pain, and computer simulation and clinical interpretation of pathologic walking and running.
Professor Granata was recruited to the Department of Engineering Science and Mechanics to continue his distinguished teaching and research. In particular, he developed innovative methods to quantify low back stability that are considered cutting edge by other leaders in the field. He served as mentor for numerous students and junior professors. When Granata was promoted to the rank of professor, one of these professors conveyed, "Countless times he has provided me with valuable guidance on research-related matters such as student advising, experimental issues, and manuscript preparation." Darin Padua of the

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC, UNC–Chapel Hill, or simply Carolina) is a public university, public research university in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States. Chartered in 1789, the university first began enrolli ...

, who earned his doctorate under Granata's tutelage at the University of Virginia, said that Granata particularly excelled at encouraging collaboration among experts in various fields, resulting in research that crossed many disciplines and areas of expertise. While focusing primarily on research into

, biomimetric robotics and biomechanics, Granata helped develop mobility aids for the elderly such as the MARC Robotic Walker. The MARC Walker is named for the Medical Automation Research Center at the University of Virginia, where Granata had taught until January 10, 2003. He presented a paper on the elderly walker at the 2003 International Conference on Robots and Systems in

Las Vegas Las Vegas, colloquially referred to as Vegas, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and the county seat of Clark County. The Las Vegas Valley metropolitan area is the largest within the greater Mojave Desert, and second-l ...

. Granata was an associate professor at Virginia Tech and in 2005, he achieved the honor of Virginia Tech College of Engineering Faculty Fellow. In 2006, he was awarded the Dean's Award for Excellence in Research for his work on lower back pain. In announcing the Dean's Award given to Granata, Virginia Tech stated he had "established a major research program, developing innovative methods to quantify low back stability that are considered cutting edge." He was additionally honored as the Virginia Tech Scholar of the Week for his published work concerning lower back pain. His friends and colleagues at Virginia Tech called him "a man with a sharp intellect who answered a call to serve the cause of scholarship and higher education". Granata was a member of many professional societies and served as Associate Editor of the ''

Journal of Applied Biomechanics A journal, from the Old French ''journal'' (meaning "daily"), may refer to: *Bullet journal, a method of personal organization *Diary, a record of personal secretive thoughts and as open book to personal therapy or used to feel connected to onesel ...

'' and '' Journal of Electromyography & Kinesiology''. Granata was a co-chair of the American Society of Biomechanics' annual meeting in 2006, hosted at Virginia Tech. At the time of his death, he was awaiting publication of four more articles in his name.

Personal life

Granata lived in Blacksburg with his wife, Linda Ankenman, whom he met at

Purdue Purdue University is a public land-grant research university in West Lafayette, Indiana, United States, and the flagship campus of the Purdue University system. The university was founded in 1869 after Lafayette businessman John Purdue donat ...

while they both participated in the Crew Club and married in May 1991. She is a research specialist in the Food Science Department at Virginia Tech. He enjoyed working with the

Boy Scouts Boy Scouts or Boy Scout may refer to: * Members, sections or organisations in the Scouting Movement ** Scout (Scouting), a boy or a girl participating in the worldwide Scouting movement ** Scouting America, formerly known as Boy Scouts of America ...

and other activities with his three children, and he was an avid athlete, participating in

triathlon A triathlon is an endurance multisport race consisting of Swimming (sport), swimming, Cycle sport, cycling, and running over various distances. Triathletes compete for fastest overall completion time, racing each segment sequentially with the ...

s and

biathlon The biathlon is a winter sport that combines cross-country skiing and rifle shooting. It is treated as a race, with contestants skiing through a cross-country trail whose distance is divided into shooting rounds. The shooting rounds are not ti ...

s for years. On the crew club at Purdue, he was on the JV rowing team that won a bronze medal at the

Dad Vail Regatta The Dad Vail Regatta is the largest regular intercollegiate rowing event in the United States, drawing over a hundred colleges and universities from North America. The regatta has been held annually on the Schuylkill River in Philadelphia, Pennsy ...

in 1986. He loved to play golf and was a fan of Ohio State athletics. Granata was also a member of

Triangle Fraternity Triangle Fraternity is an American collegiate Fraternities and Sororities, fraternity for male students majoring in engineering, architecture, and the physical, mathematical, biological, and computer sciences. Triangle Fraternity organized at th ...

, inducted at Ohio State.

Death

Granata was a victim of the

on April 16, 2007. Upon hearing from a professor from across the hall from his office on the third floor of Norris Hall that there were potential shootings going on on the second floor, he brought the professor and his 20 students from a nearby classroom into his office, where the door could be locked.Personal conversation with professor mentioned here He and another professor, Wally Grant, then went downstairs to investigate the situation when they were both shot by

; Grant was wounded and survived from a shoulder injury, but Granata died from an injury to his temple. He was 45 years old. Neither the professor or any of the students locked in Granata's office were injured or killed. One of Granata's fellow Virginia Tech engineering professors, Dr.

Liviu Librescu Liviu Librescu (; ; August 18, 1930 – April 16, 2007) was a Romanian–American scientist and engineer. A prominent academic in addition to being a survivor of the Holocaust, his major research fields were aeroelasticity and aerodynamics. Libr ...

, was also killed in the shootings. The Engineering Science and Mechanics Department Head, Dr.

Ishwar Puri Ishwar Kanwar Puri (born 1959) is an Indian-American and Canadian scientist, engineer, and academic. Early life and education Puri was born in New Delhi, India, in 1959. He studied at St. Xavier’s School, Delhi from 1964 to 1976. He earned a B ...

, remembered Granata and Librescu in a statement as "world-class" researchers. Dr. Puri stated about Granata, "The use of his research by other scholars worldwide had put him on a trajectory to become a notable star in these fields." Memorial services were held in Blacksburg and a funeral

Mass Mass is an Intrinsic and extrinsic properties, intrinsic property of a physical body, body. It was traditionally believed to be related to the physical quantity, quantity of matter in a body, until the discovery of the atom and particle physi ...

at Christ the King Church in

Toledo, Ohio Toledo ( ) is a city in Lucas County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. It is located at the western end of Lake Erie along the Maumee River. Toledo is the List of cities in Ohio, fourth-most populous city in Ohio and List of United Sta ...

, where his parents, Joseph and Mildred, and siblings live, was later held.

References

External links

Kevin P. Granata Musculoskeletal Biomechanics Lab

Dr. Kevin P. Granata, In Memoriam

MSNBC — Profiles of victims in Virginia Tech massacre

Washington Post ''The Washington Post'', locally known as ''The'' ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'' or ''WP'', is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C., the national capital. It is the most widely circulated newspaper in the Washington m ...

, April 17, 2007
Photo of bronze medal-winning crew team at Purdue

Photo of Purdue JV team on the medal stand at Dad Vail

{{DEFAULTSORT:Granata, Kevin 1961 births 2007 deaths American biomedical engineers Ohio State University College of Engineering alumni People from Toledo, Ohio Players of American football from Ohio Purdue University alumni Sportspeople from Toledo, Ohio United States Navy sailors University of Virginia faculty Virginia Tech faculty Wake Forest University faculty Deaths by firearm in Virginia Mass murder victims People murdered in Virginia Catholics from Ohio Victims of mass shootings in the United States Virginia Tech shooting