President’s Column

Michael A. Jensen
Brigham Young University
August, 2016

In May of 2005, I received my first invitation to travel to Gothenburg Sweden to be an Opponent (a role in the Swedish PhD examination process) for one of Prof. Per-Simon Kildal’s students at Chalmers University of Technology. When I arrived, I was welcomed warmly by Prof. Kildal, and I was treated as a valued guest for the entire time that I was in Gothenburg, including a very enjoyable visit to Prof. Kildal’s home for dinner. Since that time, I have made several visits to Prof. Kildal’s group for different reasons, and each time I have enjoyed unparalleled hospitality, rigorous and interesting technical exchanges with his students and colleagues, and invitations for future visits. I know that many of you have had similar experiences with Prof. Kildal over the years.

Most of you who knew Prof. Kildal personally have already learned that he passed away on April 21, 2016. Many of us talked to him shortly before his passing, and we were all stunned to hear the news. I know that I represent all of you when I express my deepest condolences to his family as well as to his colleagues and collaborators who were made to feel like part of his family. I know that many of you felt the sadness that I experienced when I learned of the news. Those of us who knew him personally are better because of our interaction. Those of us who have used his technical articles to further our own work are grateful for his insights and devotion to scientific discovery. The community will be forever impacted by the depth and breadth of his technical contributions. I invite you to visit http://www.chalmers.se/en/departments/s2/Pages/In-memory-of-Per-SimonKildal.aspx where you can read for yourself the many ways that Prof. Kildal touched the lives of others.