Graeme Smith

1976 - 2022

SMITH

GRAEME SMITH

Graeme Smith, 45, of Crofton, MD, passed away on Monday, September 5, 2022, having lived with cancer since the previous summer.



Born in Southampton, UK, on September 20, 1976, Graeme enjoyed a happy childhood in Chandlers Ford with his brother, Robert, and parents, Tim and Yvonne. His favourite memories were of summer holidays spent in Cornwall with his family. Graeme's academic abilities were apparent from an early age. At Toynbee School and Barton Peveril College, Graeme excelled at maths and science, though he was gifted across the curriculum. Graeme derived as much pleasure from the arts as he did from those subjects in which he would later carve an acclaimed career. Throughout his life, he approached every challenge with the same passion, enthusiasm and soft rock backing track.



In 1995, Graeme began a BSc in Physics at the University of Southampton, but he was careful not to let his studies get in the way of a vibrant social life. Among his many hobbies, Graeme wrote entertaining gig reviews for the student newspaper, often adopting the literary style (and occasionally the lifestyle) of Hunter S. Thompson. After graduation, Graeme spent a year at Robert Gordon University in Aberdeen, where he was awarded a master's degree with Distinction in Information Systems. Moving to North West London in 1999, Graeme spent his days developing the Eurofighter at BAE Systems, whilst establishing himself as a young gentleman about town in the evenings. Thus began a decade of dandified jollity in London, during which time Graeme engaged enthusiastically with the cultural and political life of the city.



In 2004, Graeme embarked upon a PhD in radar systems at University College London, supported by his then employers, Selex. During this time he published many research papers and became a proficient conference speaker. He developed excellent relationships with government and industry researchers in the UK and overseas, establishing himself as an acknowledged expert in the field of radar target classification. Graeme completed his PhD studies in 2008 with a first class thesis entitled "Radar target micro-Doppler signature classification." (He subsequently adopted the unofficial title of Dr Radar, especially at hipster soirées and music festivals.) As a Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Graeme was a popular mentor, teacher and colleague. He formed many lasting friendships throughout his time at UCL.



In 2009, Graeme left the UK to take up a post as a Senior Postdoctoral Research Fellow at Villanova University, Pennsylvania. In 2012, he joined the Ohio State University's ElectroScience Lab, where he rapidly advanced to Research Assistant Professor as head of the Radar Sensing Laboratory.



During his tenure at OSU, Graeme advised over a dozen graduate students and collaborated with countless others in the areas of cognitive, passive, and bio-inspired radar. He was a winner of the OSU's Lumley Award and the ESL's Above and Beyond Award. In between teaching and participating in NATO panels, lectures and conference tutorials, Graeme still found time to train for marathons, fall over whilst ice curling, and triumph at trivia nights thanks to his expansive knowledge of obscure facts.



In 2019, Graeme joined the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory in Maryland, where he became an integral member of the Sensor Technologies Group and served as a Radar Systems Associate Editor for the IEEE Aerospace and Electronic Systems Society.



Throughout his career, Graeme authored over 120 research papers (including one that made the front page of Reddit). He contributed to five books, completing work on the latest chapter whilst undergoing chemotherapy. He once collaborated with NASA to send a CubeSat to the International Space Station. He was an inventor of US Patent 2017/0307748 A1. He was also a big fan of Brian May and fine quality cheeses.



Admired for his sharp intellect in the corridors of academia and his colourful hats in the fields of Glastonbury, Graeme was a man of many parts. He loved music and had a particular passion for the electric guitar. In his carefully composed photography, he could skilfully capture the magic in a moody sunset or an urban landscape. As an enthusiastic cyclist, he had ridden the Hampshire hills from Weardale to Farley Mount, and the gravel trails along the Chesapeake & Ohio canal in Maryland. Graeme co-led the UCL running club, and despite a modest performance during most races, he was always first (and often last) in the pub.

Graeme met Shelly in 2020, at a time when each was looking to share post-lockdown adventures. Adventures were shared, and the relationship rapidly flourished. And when the adventure took an unwelcome turn, Graeme and Shelly continued to bring joy and laughter into one another's lives. They married in April 2022.



Graeme was a man who listened – properly listened. Consequently, he could offer an informed opinion on most topics. Yet Graeme understood the importance of occasionally holding back and letting his eyebrows do the talking. Dr Radar was a person of serious understanding and knowledge, but he didn't take himself seriously, and he didn't take the world too seriously. Graeme was fun. He was silly. And he was good; truly good. A devoted husband, son, brother, uncle, godfather, mentor and friend. Taken too soon, having given so much.



A Celebration of Life is being held locally by friends on September 24, 2022, and a service will take place in Romsey, UK on October 12, 2022.



In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to either the ACLU or Johns Hopkins Oncology research, or participating in blood donation.