Facebook Pixel OCSE Announces Passing of Retired Professor Dr. George Vourvopoulos | Western Kentucky University
  1. WKU
  2. Ogden College of Science & Engineering

Ogden News

OCSE Announces Passing of Retired Professor Dr. George Vourvopoulos

  • Thursday, February 9th, 2023
OCSE Announces Passing of Retired Professor Dr. George Vourvopoulos

It is with great sadness that we share the loss of retired professor Dr. George Vourvopoulos. He passed away on February 3, 2023 at age 86.

Dr. Vourvopoulos’s career in nuclear physics led him to Western Kentucky University in 1983 where he was a professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy. In 1994, he established the Applied Physics Institute (API) at WKU where, along with his colleagues and students, he developed several physics applications including the online analysis of impurities in coal, detecting drugs and explosives in containers and suitcases, and detecting unexploded ordinances such as buried land mines and artillery rounds. He holds five patents for his inventions, and the API continues to flourish today.

In 1998, Dr. Vourvopoulos was named Kentucky Scientist of the Year, and in 1999, he received the Award for Research/Creativity and was recognized for Outstanding Faculty Achievement by WKU.

He retired in 2001 after 18 years of serving on our faculty.

Dr. Vourvopoulos was a great contributor to his discipline, and we offer his family our sincerest condolences.

  Back to Archive

Categories
Latest Headlines
WKU professor featured in podcast on human-wildlife behavior

Apr 23rd, 2024

Dr. Bruce Schulte, University Distinguished Professor of Biology, will be featured on a special series from "The Deal With Animals" podcast.

WKU finishes first overall in ASCE Concrete Canoe Competition

Apr 22nd, 2024

Read More

National Science Foundation Grant Awarded: Making Upper Division Mathematics Courses More Relevant for Future High School Teachers

Apr 22nd, 2024

Dr. Nick Fortune (Associate Professor of Mathematics) and two colleagues recently had a National Science Foundation Improving Undergraduate STEM Education (IUSE) grant funded.

Featured Articles
Chemistry professors receive NSF award to acquire a new X-ray diffractometer

Nov 2nd, 2023

Congratulations to Dr. Bangbo Yan (Principal Investigator) and his team members, Dr. Rui Zhang, Dr. Lei Li, Dr. Chris Groves, and Dr. Jasmine Terzic for receiving a $ 346,506 National Science Foundation MRI award for a new X-ray diffractometer.

Zach Stichter received the 2023 McNally Fellowship

Nov 2nd, 2023

Congratulations to Zach Stichter for receiving the 2023 McNally Fellowship

WKU Research Team Visits Odessa, TX for the October 14 Annular Solar Eclipse

Oct 20th, 2023

A WKU team tested the SunSketcher app during an eclipse in Texas. The app captures Baily's Beads during eclipses, and users' images help analyze the Sun's shape for solar research and testing gravity theories.

View Archive

 

 

 

Some of the links on this page may require additional software to view.

 Last Modified 12/5/18