Remembering Alexandria Engineering Professor Jim Konnick

James “Jim” Konnick, P.E., (Engineering Professor-AL) of Falls Church, Va. passed away on June 4, 2020 at his home surrounded by family after a battle with pancreatic cancer. Jim was a NOVA adjunct faculty member for many years prior to becoming a full-time faculty member at the Alexandria Campus teaching courses in architecture, computer aided drawing and engineering.

Jim was a highly accomplished engineer who loved being in the classroom. When Jim received his medical diagnosis last fall, he still came to work, held classes and met with students. However, that just goes to show how passionate he was about teaching and the bond he created with his students.

Among many other fine qualities, Jim had a long-term love of baseball and his childhood team the New York Mets. Even though the Mets have fallen on hard times lately, Jim was a true fan and could talk about the team with colleagues at the drop of a hat.

Jim was a respected and beloved member of the AL community. His integrity was beyond reproach and his commitment to NOVA and to our students was second to none. NOVA has lost a quality professor and a fine gentleman. All who knew him will miss him.

Reflections of Friend and Colleague Mike Ghorbanian:

“I met Jim while working on a project at the Pentagon City Mall back in 1986. At the time, I had a small practice and so did he. We seemed to have many things in common–we both liked football, movies, comedy, engineering, architecture and construction. We even both worked and lived in Houston at the same time, working with some common clients, but not knowing each other. These gave us plenty of topics to talk about whenever we met, and to top it off, we always had satiric opinions on “current events” to share.

“When we reorganized the Civil Engineering Technology program at NOVA and Virginia Tech accepted our Architecture AAS as an admission opportunity for the Master’s program, I thought it was important that our courses are taught by registered professionals and include structures. So I invited him to join our adjunct team and, subsequently, when my other dear colleague, John Warsowick departed, Jim applied to be his replacement and was the obvious choice.

“Jim was an amazing engineer, professor, advisor, colleague, friend and person. I found his habit of being positive in all endeavors and a facilitator whenever one needed him, an incredible trait that I always looked up to. Every time I think of him, I picture him with his briefcase loaded with HP calculator, AISC steel manual and truss chart walking in the door. He always wanted to show up, solve your problem and be on his way. Amazing! Even after his illness started, the few times I offered to carry his heavy case to his car, he never accepted. He was a strong, proud, well-liked and respected friend, and that is how I will remember him.”