September 24, 2001

Dear Faculty, Staff and Students,

I have sad news to report. The Navy has confirmed what we feared, that one of our colleagues, Ronald J. Vauk of the Applied Physics Laboratory, was one of those killed in the Sept. 11 attack on the Pentagon.

Ron, of APL's Submarine Technology Department, was on naval reserve duty at the time of the attack, standing watch at the Navy Command Center.

Ron was 37. He had been with Johns Hopkins since 1997 as assistant supervisor of his department's Operational Assessments Group. He was very highly regarded, both for his management and technical contributions to the work of the laboratory and for his dedication to his family and his country.

He was a 1987 graduate of the Naval Academy and served six years on active duty as a submarine officer.

I know I speak for all of us when I extend our deepest sympathy to his wife, Jennifer; their 3-year old son, Liam; and a second child due in November; and to all his family, including another colleague of ours, his brother-in-law, Chris DeBoy of APL's Space Department.

A memorial observance will be held at APL on Friday, and Ron's funeral and burial will take place Saturday at Arlington National Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Ronald James Vauk Memorial Fund through First Mariner Bank at 1801 S. Clinton St., Baltimore, Md. 21224.

The attack of Sept. 11 was an attack on us all, and we all felt it deeply. At Johns Hopkins, the addition of one of our own staff to the growing list of victims along with, so far, at least seven of our alumni who are missing or confirmed dead only adds to our already profound grief. We miss them all.

Sincerely,
William R. Brody