Jordan B. Camp was a member of the Gravitational Wave Astrophysics
Laboratory from its inception in 2001 until he passed away
unexpectedly in December 2025, just weeks after his
retirement from NASA/Goddard.
On Friday, April 3, 2026, a Memorial Colloquium was held for Jordan
at the University of Maryland, College Park. People who knew him
from many stages of his life gave remarks of appreciation.
Yasmine Tajeddin is a junior at the University of Maryland, where she is pursuing a double major in Computer Science and Music with a focus in vocal performance. She studies classical voice and has a particular interest in opera repertoire. For this memorial service, she will perform Dolente immagine by Vincenzo Bellini, a piece known for its expressive and mournful character, making it especially fitting for a moment of remembrance.
Kenji,Numata, PhD
Kenji Numata, an optical physicist in NASA Goddard's Optics Branch, has worked with Jordan since
2003 and brings over two decades of experience in laser frequency stabilization, precision
interferometry, nonlinear optics, and lidar systems. After pioneering ultrasensitive interferometry
during his Ph.D. and advancing laser technologies at NASA, he has led major developments for the
LISA laser. He now serves as the LISA laser development lead at NASA GSFC, providing technical
leadership for the system and holding multiple patents and publications in laser design.
Ben Kerman, MD
Jordan & I met in 1976 as MIT undergrads at a "local boy" fraternity house (of a sort) for unselected
students living off campus. This began a 50 year friendship sharing our mutual love for scientific, spiritual , and
political ideas, the arts and nature. I am the father of 3 adopted children, grandfather to 3 boys, and husband to
my lovely wife Paula. I am an adult medicine physician specializing in clinical & implementation research in
genetics at Brigham & Women's Hospital, Boston
Keith Snail, PhD
Keith Snail has a PhD in physics from University of Chicago and has had a long career at
the Navy and Army's corporate research labs in the DC area, working in the areas of nonimaging
optics, low-pressure diamond growth, stealth technologies, and quantum sensors. He currently
works for Fibertek at the Army Research Lab, as the technical lead and deputy program manager
of a 100-person science and engineering support contract.
Peter Kurczynski, PhD
Peter Kurczynski is an astrophysicist at NASA and he serves as the Chief Scientist of the Cosmic Origins Program. He met Jordan at Goddard Space Flight Center, where they discovered a mutual interest not only in science but also in Buddhism and meditation. Their friendship extended over long conversations on wide ranging topics at NASA, over dinners in various Washington DC venues, and at the Kadampa Meditation Center—Washington DC.
If you click the
"Watch on YouTube"
link in the lower right of the video, you will be brought to their site.
From there, find the lightly colored box below the video, and click
on "more..." in the description. This will bring you to a linked table
of contents, so you can jump to particular speakers.
And here is my November 30, 2001 staff photo of Jordan, for the
Laboratory for High Energy Astrophysics (which became the Astrophysics
Science Division). This was taken only a few months after his arrival
at Goddard. [click on image thumbnail below to enlarge]:
Photos (Canon EOS R6 Mark II with 70-200mm f/4 L) and video (iPhone 15)
by
David Friedlander.
Processed in Adobe Lightroom Classic and
Blackmagic Design DaVinci Resolve.
