19 Facts About Liviu Librescu

Coincidentally, Liviu Librescu's act of heroism happened on Nisan 27 in the Jewish lunar calendar.

Liviu Librescu was born in 1930 to a Jewish family in the city of Ploiesti, Romania.

Liviu Librescu studied aerospace engineering at the Polytechnic University of Bucharest, graduating in 1952 and continuing with a Master's degree at the same university.

Liviu Librescu's career stalled in the 1970s because he refused to swear allegiance to Nicolae Ceausescu's government.

When Liviu Librescu requested permission to emigrate to Israel, the Academy of Science of Romania fired him.

From 1979 to 1986, Liviu Librescu was Professor of Aeronautical and Mechanical Engineering at Tel Aviv University and taught at the Technion in Haifa.

Liviu Librescu served as a member on the editorial board of seven scientific journals and was invited as a guest editor of special issues of five other journals.

At age 76, Liviu Librescu was the oldest of the 32 people who were murdered in the Virginia Tech shooting.

Liviu Librescu, who taught a solid mechanics class in Room 204 in the Norris Hall during April 2007, held the door of his classroom shut while the gunman attempted to enter it and yelled to his students to escape through the windows.

Liviu Librescu was shot four times through the door, including once through his wrist watch.

Caroline Merrey, a senior, said she and about 20 other students scrambled through the windows as Liviu Librescu shouted for them to hurry.

Liviu Librescu received many academic honors during his work in the Engineering Science and Mechanics Department at Virginia Tech, serving as chair or invited as a keynote speaker of several International Congresses on Thermal Stresses and receiving several honorary degrees.

Liviu Librescu was elected member of the Academy of Sciences of the Shipbuilding of Ukraine and Foreign Fellow of the Academy of Engineering of Armenia.

Liviu Librescu was a recipient of Doctor Honoris Causa of the Polytechnic Institute of Bucharest, of the 1999 Dean's Award for Excellence in Research, College of Engineering at Virginia Tech, and a laureate of the Traian Vuia Prize of the Romanian Academy.

Liviu Librescu was a member of the Board of Experts of the Italian Ministry of Education, University and Scientific Research.

Liviu Librescu was awarded the Frank J Maher Award for Excellence in Engineering Education and an ASME diploma expressing "deep appreciation for the valuable services in advancing the engineering profession".

Liviu Librescu deserves to be remembered for these heroic actions.

Professor Liviu Librescu was awarded the 2007 Facilitator Award by Stetson University College of Law's Center for Excellence in Higher Education Law and Policy.

Liviu Librescu is an expert in national security law and international law, including issues such as executive power, international human rights and constitutional rights, military force and armed conflict, terrorism, cybersecurity, and maritime disputes.