LASSONDE SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING View this email in your browser George Vukovich 1952-2018

Dear colleagues,



It is with a heavy heart that I inform you of the passing of Professor George Vukovich.



George was a well-respected academic and researcher, and a highly valued member of the Lassonde community. His impact reached beyond York University and his work in aerospace engineering made him a world leader in spacecraft dynamics and control. Notably, he has made substantial technical contributions in the area of attitude control systems on many spacecraft missions including Odin, Anik E2 rescue, and the Radarsat 1 rescue.



He began his career at the University of Toronto, where he received his PhD from the Institute of Aerospace Studies in 1983. George went on to work at several space companies including Dynacon, Northrop, and Honeywell. In 1989, he joined the Canadian Space Agency and demonstrated great leadership while serving as the Director of Spacecraft Engineering from 1996-2010.



George joined York University as an Associate Professor in 2012 and was promoted to Full Professorship in 2017. While at Lassonde, his research on the Electric Solar Wind Sail Pole Sitter Spacecraft earned him a prominent Discovery Grant from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada.



Professor Vukovich's achievements are vast and and I cannot do them justice in this note. We will be holding a memorial to pay our respects to George on Monday, September 10. More details will be announced shortly, and we kindly ask that you hold this date in your calendar to honor George's memory.



As we come to terms with this loss, I encourage those who need support to make use of the services available to them to cope during this difficult time.



York University Students can contact Student Counselling and Development for professional support. If you require assistance outside of normal business hours you can also call the Good2Talk helpline at 1-866-925-5454. Staff and Faculty in need of assistance can make use of the Employee and Family Assistance Program, which is available for 24-7 support. They can also be reached by phone at 1-844-880-9142.



Warmly,



Richard