WHEREAS, Brian Juel Jensen, recently retired Senior Researcher for Advanced Materials at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Langley Research Center in Hampton and Deputy Technical Fellow for the NASA Engineering and Safety Center's Materials Discipline Team, who dedicated his 44-year career to the advancement of the United States' space program, died on January 30, 2024; and

WHEREAS, Brian Juel Jensen was born and raised in Newport News, graduated from Ferguson High School in 1976, and went on to earn a bachelor's degree in chemistry from Randolph-Macon College, a master's degree in chemistry from The College of William & Mary, and a doctoral degree in chemistry, specializing in organic and polymer chemistry, from Virginia Commonwealth University; and

WHEREAS, during his tenure at NASA, Brian Juel Jensen had more than 200 publications and technical presentations, secured more than 30 patents, and owned over 50 commercial licenses; and

WHEREAS, Brian Juel Jensen received the NASA Exceptional Achievement Medal; the NASA Commercial Inventions of the Year Award, both in 1998 and 2008, as well as an honorable mention in 2018; an R&D 100 Award; and the NASA Exceptional Service Medal and is a member of the NASA Inventors Hall of Fame; and

WHEREAS, desiring to be of further service to his Williamsburg community, Brian Juel Jensen was also a committed neighborhood and community leader; and

WHEREAS, Brian Juel Jensen was also a devoted son and gave his time generously to help his parents, especially in their later years; and

WHEREAS, Brian Juel Jensen loved the Commonwealth's great outdoors and spent countless hours boating on the James River and golfing with his friends and family; and

WHEREAS, Brian Juel Jensen will be lovingly remembered and greatly missed by his wife, Amy; his daughters, Chelsea and Colby, and their families; and numerous other family members, friends, and colleagues; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly hereby note with great sadness the loss of Brian Juel Jensen, a remarkable scientist, inventor, and public servant who touched countless lives throughout the Commonwealth and across the nation; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to the family of the Brian Juel Jensen as an expression of the General Assembly's respect for his memory.