During the shootings occurred on the campus of Virginia Tech, the department of engineering science and mechanics lost two fine professors. Dr. Liviu Librescu was teaching solid mechanics class when the gunman initiated a two-minute massacre next door. Most of the students in his class escaped from the windows while Dr. Librescu held the door and did not survive when the gunman broke in. Another professor is Dr. Kevin Granata.
I am sorry for the tragedy
I am sorry for the tragedy that happened in VT. More sorrowfully, we lost two mechanicians in Engineering Science and Mechanics. Moreover, Dr. Librescu is former Ph.D. advisor of my current collaborator Prof. Na (in Korea Univ, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering). I hope that my heartfelt condolences are sent to people at VT and deceased mechanicians.
More information on the VT mechanicians
For those interested, here is a statement from the dean of Virginia Tech on the research interests and careers of the two VT mechanicians who were killed in yesterday's shootings:
http://newsblogs.chicagotribune.com/news_theswamp/2007/04/va_tech_dean_gr.html