Professor Kevin Granata

One of two engineering professors killed was Kevin P. Granata, 46, a teacher described today by the dean of engineering, Ishwar K. Puri, as a "world-class" researcher and mentor to students. Dr. Granata and his students studied neuromuscular control, researching robotics, muscle and reflex response, and the mechanics of how people walk and run.

He served in the military, earned his undergraduate and doctoral degrees at Ohio State University, and later conducted orthopedic research in hospitals. He taught at the University of Virginia between 1997 and 2003, before joining the faculty at Virginia Tech. His office was in room 307 on the third floor of Norris Hall, the building where the second round of shooting took place.

"He was one of the top five biomechanics researchers in the country working on movement dynamics in cerebral palsy," Dr. Puri, the dean of engineering, said in a statement. "The use of his research by other scholars worldwide had put him on a trajectory to become a notable star in these fields."