Kevin Granata
Encyclopedia
Kevin P. Granata was an American
professor
in multiple departments including the Departments of Engineering
, Science
and Mechanics
(in which he was tenured) and Mechanical Engineering at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
(Virginia Tech), Blacksburg
, Virginia
, 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
in the Department of Orthopedic Surgery. A victim of the Virginia Tech massacre
, he died protecting students after he shepherded them into his office in order to safeguard them, and after he went to investigate and intervene.
A native of Toledo
, Ohio
, 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
in engineering physics & electrical engineering from Ohio State University
in 1984, a master's degree
in physics from Purdue University
in 1986, and a doctorate in biomechanics from Ohio State in 1993. He began his bachelor's degree in physics at John Carroll University
in Cleveland, where he also played football
, 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 at Johns Hopkins University
. While there, he was contracted by the military and conducted research for the US Navy
.
Granata stayed at Ohio State for four years as a research scientist in the Biodynamics Laboratory after earning his doctorate degree there in 1993.
In 1997, Granata arrived at the University of Virginia
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
.
He remained an adjunct professor at Virginia after leaving for Virginia Tech in 2003.
and movement dynamics in cerebral palsy
, 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
, 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
, 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 cerebral palsy
, 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 Virginia Tech
, where Granata had taught since January 10, 2003. He presented a paper on the elderly walker at the 2003 International Conference on Robots and Systems in Las Vegas
. 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
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.
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
and other activities with his three children, and he was an avid athlete, participating in triathlon
s and biathlon
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
in 1986. He loved to play golf and was a fan of Ohio State athletics. Granata was also a member of Triangle Fraternity
, inducted at Ohio State.
on April 16, 2007. Upon hearing a commotion from his office on the third floor of Norris Hall, the professor brought 20 students from a nearby classroom into his office, where the door could be locked. He and another professor, Wally Grant, then went downstairs to investigate the situation. They were both shot by Seung-Hui Cho
; Grant was wounded and survived, but Granata died from his injuries. He was 45 years old. None of the students locked in Granata's office were injured.
One of Granata's fellow Virginia Tech engineering professors, Dr. Liviu Librescu
, was also killed in the shootings. The Engineering Science and Mechanics Department Head, Dr. Ishwar K. Puri
, 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
at Christ the King Church in Toledo, Ohio
, where his parents, Joseph and Mildred, and siblings live, was later held.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
professor
Professor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
in multiple departments including the Departments of Engineering
Engineering
Engineering is the discipline, art, skill and profession of acquiring and applying scientific, mathematical, economic, social, and practical knowledge, in order to design and build structures, machines, devices, systems, materials and processes that safely realize improvements to the lives of...
, Science
Science
Science is a systematic enterprise that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe...
and Mechanics
Mechanics
Mechanics is the branch of physics concerned with the behavior of physical bodies when subjected to forces or displacements, and the subsequent effects of the bodies on their environment....
(in which he was tenured) and Mechanical Engineering at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, popularly known as Virginia Tech , is a public land-grant university with the main campus in Blacksburg, Virginia with other research and educational centers throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia, United States, and internationally.Founded in...
(Virginia Tech), Blacksburg
Blacksburg, Virginia
Blacksburg is an incorporated town located in Montgomery County, Virginia, United States, with a population of 42,620 at the 2010 census. Blacksburg, Christiansburg, and Radford are the three principal jurisdictions of the Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford Metropolitan Statistical Area which...
, Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
, United States. Granata held an additional academic appointment as a professor in the Virginia Tech-Wake Forest
Wake Forest University
Wake Forest University is a private, coeducational university in the U.S. state of North Carolina, founded in 1834. The university received its name from its original location in Wake Forest, north of Raleigh, North Carolina, the state capital. The Reynolda Campus, the university's main campus, is...
School of Biomedical Engineering and was an adjunct professor at the University of Virginia
University of Virginia
The University of Virginia is a public research university located in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States, founded by Thomas Jefferson...
in the Department of Orthopedic Surgery. A victim of the Virginia Tech massacre
Virginia Tech massacre
The Virginia Tech massacre was a school shooting that took place on April 16, 2007, on the campus of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in Blacksburg, Virginia, United States. In two separate attacks, approximately two hours apart, the perpetrator, Seung-Hui Cho, killed 32 people...
, he died protecting students after he shepherded them into his office in order to safeguard them, and after he went to investigate and intervene.
Education and career
Toledo, Ohio
Toledo is the fourth most populous city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Lucas County. Toledo is in northwest Ohio, on the western end of Lake Erie, and borders the State of Michigan...
, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
, 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
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
in engineering physics & electrical engineering from Ohio State University
Ohio State University
The Ohio State University, commonly referred to as Ohio State, is a public research university located in Columbus, Ohio. It was originally founded in 1870 as a land-grant university and is currently the third largest university campus in the United States...
in 1984, a master's degree
Master's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
in physics from Purdue University
Purdue University
Purdue University, located in West Lafayette, Indiana, U.S., is the flagship university of the six-campus Purdue University system. Purdue was founded on May 6, 1869, as a land-grant university when the Indiana General Assembly, taking advantage of the Morrill Act, accepted a donation of land and...
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
John Carroll University is a private, co-educational Jesuit Catholic university in University Heights, Ohio, United States, a suburb of Cleveland. The university was founded in 1886 by the Society of Jesus as Saint Ignatius College.The university was founded in 1886 by the Society of Jesus, as...
in Cleveland, where he also played football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
, 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 at Johns Hopkins University
Johns Hopkins University
The Johns Hopkins University, commonly referred to as Johns Hopkins, JHU, or simply Hopkins, is a private research university based in Baltimore, Maryland, United States...
. While there, he was contracted by the military and conducted research for the US Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
.
Granata stayed at Ohio State for four years as a research scientist in the Biodynamics Laboratory after earning his doctorate degree there in 1993.
In 1997, Granata arrived at the University of Virginia
University of Virginia
The University of Virginia is a public research university located in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States, founded by Thomas Jefferson...
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
Cerebral palsy is an umbrella term encompassing a group of non-progressive, non-contagious motor conditions that cause physical disability in human development, chiefly in the various areas of body movement....
.
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 biomechanicsBiomechanics
Biomechanics is the application of mechanical principles to biological systems, such as humans, animals, plants, organs, and cells. Perhaps one of the best definitions was provided by Herbert Hatze in 1974: "Biomechanics is the study of the structure and function of biological systems by means of...
and movement dynamics in cerebral palsy
Cerebral palsy
Cerebral palsy is an umbrella term encompassing a group of non-progressive, non-contagious motor conditions that cause physical disability in human development, chiefly in the various areas of body movement....
, 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
Robotics is the branch of technology that deals with the design, construction, operation, structural disposition, manufacture and application of robots...
, 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
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a public research university located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States...
, 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 cerebral palsy
Cerebral palsy
Cerebral palsy is an umbrella term encompassing a group of non-progressive, non-contagious motor conditions that cause physical disability in human development, chiefly in the various areas of body movement....
, 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 Virginia Tech
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, popularly known as Virginia Tech , is a public land-grant university with the main campus in Blacksburg, Virginia with other research and educational centers throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia, United States, and internationally.Founded in...
, where Granata had taught since 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, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
. 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
Journal of Applied Biomechanics
The Journal of Applied Biomechanics is an academic journal and the official journal of the International Society of Biomechanics. It is released quarterly and features research articles and clinical studies about the studies of musculoskeletal and neuromuscular biomechanics in human movement,...
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 PurduePurdue University
Purdue University, located in West Lafayette, Indiana, U.S., is the flagship university of the six-campus Purdue University system. Purdue was founded on May 6, 1869, as a land-grant university when the Indiana General Assembly, taking advantage of the Morrill Act, accepted a donation of land and...
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 of America
The Boy Scouts of America is one of the largest youth organizations in the United States, with over 4.5 million youth members in its age-related divisions...
and other activities with his three children, and he was an avid athlete, participating in triathlon
Triathlon
A triathlon is a multi-sport event involving the completion of three continuous and sequential endurance events. While many variations of the sport exist, triathlon, in its most popular form, involves swimming, cycling, and running in immediate succession over various distances...
s and biathlon
Biathlon
Biathlon is a term used to describe any sporting event made up of two disciplines. However, biathlon usually refers specifically to the winter sport that combines cross-country skiing and rifle shooting...
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
Dad Vail Regatta
The Aberdeen Dad Vail Regatta is the largest regular intercollegiate rowing event in the USA, drawing over a hundred colleges and universities from North America. The event has been held annually on the Schuylkill River in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, since 1953. Briefly in late 2009, it was planned...
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
Triangle Fraternity is a social fraternity, limiting its recruitment of members to male students majoring in engineering, architecture, and the physical, mathematical, biological, and computer sciences...
, inducted at Ohio State.
Death
Granata was a victim of the Virginia Tech shooting massacreVirginia Tech massacre
The Virginia Tech massacre was a school shooting that took place on April 16, 2007, on the campus of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in Blacksburg, Virginia, United States. In two separate attacks, approximately two hours apart, the perpetrator, Seung-Hui Cho, killed 32 people...
on April 16, 2007. Upon hearing a commotion from his office on the third floor of Norris Hall, the professor brought 20 students from a nearby classroom into his office, where the door could be locked. He and another professor, Wally Grant, then went downstairs to investigate the situation. They were both shot by Seung-Hui Cho
Seung-Hui Cho
Seung-Hui Cho was a senior-level undergraduate student at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University who killed 32 people and wounded 17 others on April 16, 2007, in the shooting rampage which came to be known as the "Virginia Tech massacre." Cho later committed suicide after law...
; Grant was wounded and survived, but Granata died from his injuries. He was 45 years old. None of the students locked in Granata's office were injured.
One of Granata's fellow Virginia Tech engineering professors, Dr. Liviu Librescu
Liviu Librescu
Liviu Librescu was a Romanian-Israeli-American scientist and academic professor whose major research fields were aeroelasticity and aerodynamics...
, was also killed in the shootings. The Engineering Science and Mechanics Department Head, Dr. Ishwar K. Puri
Ishwar K. Puri
Ishwar K. Puri is N. Waldo Harrison Professor and Head of the Department of Engineering Science and Mechanics at Virginia Tech. There, he also directs and mentors the Multiphysics Research Group .-Early years:...
, 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
Blacksburg, Virginia
Blacksburg is an incorporated town located in Montgomery County, Virginia, United States, with a population of 42,620 at the 2010 census. Blacksburg, Christiansburg, and Radford are the three principal jurisdictions of the Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford Metropolitan Statistical Area which...
and a funeral Mass
Mass (liturgy)
"Mass" is one of the names by which the sacrament of the Eucharist is called in the Roman Catholic Church: others are "Eucharist", the "Lord's Supper", the "Breaking of Bread", the "Eucharistic assembly ", the "memorial of the Lord's Passion and Resurrection", the "Holy Sacrifice", the "Holy and...
at Christ the King Church in Toledo, Ohio
Toledo, Ohio
Toledo is the fourth most populous city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Lucas County. Toledo is in northwest Ohio, on the western end of Lake Erie, and borders the State of Michigan...
, where his parents, Joseph and Mildred, and siblings live, was later held.
External links
- Kevin P. Granata Musculoskeletal Biomechanics Lab
- Dr. Kevin P. Granata, In Memoriam
- Dr. Kevin P. Granata, ESM Faculty
- MSNBC — Profiles of victims in Virginia Tech massacre
- "Victims of Shootings at Virginia Tech Remembered", Washington Post, April 17, 2007
- Photo of bronze medal-winning crew team at Purdue
- Photo of Purdue JV team on the medal stand at Dad Vail
- Biodynamics Lab at Ohio State