Dedication

The organizers of “Science Enabled by Photon Sources: Local Research Interests in Virginia” would like to dedicate this event to the memory of Dr. John B. Noftsinger, Jr., who passed away suddenly on November 10, 2011. Dr. Noftsinger was the Vice Provost for Research and Public Service at JMU, and had responsibility over a number of areas at JMU, including Technology Transfer, Sponsored Programs, the College of Science and Mathematics, and the School of Engineering. Additionally, John held the rank of tenured Professor in both the Integrated Science and Technology Department and the School of Strategic Leadership Studies.

Throughout a career that spanned more than 20 years, John passionately served his alma mater by leading a number of science and technology research and scholarship initiatives. He was a key member of the JMU team that helped attract SRI to the Shenandoah Valley, leading to the creation of the Center for Advanced Drug Research in the Rockingham Center for Research and Technology. John was appointed Co-Chair of the Virginia Research and Technology Advisory Commission, where he was able to leverage the resources of Virginia’s colleges and universities to bring multi-disciplinary and multi-institution grants and projects to the Commonwealth. Directly related to photon science, John served on the Board of Trustees for the Southeastern Universities Research Association, which built and currently operates Jefferson Lab.

As a mentor, countless students, faculty members, and staff at JMU and other institutions benefited from his thoughtful guidance and advice. As a friend and colleague, he was never short of a warm greeting or a five-minute hallway conversation about family, Dukes football, or an idea about how JMU could turn people’s dreams into reality.