Wolter “Wolt” J. Fabrycky, an esteemed researcher, professor, and pioneer in the field of systems engineering, passed away in Blacksburg on Nov. 6. He was 91 years old. 

Fabrycky graduated from Wichita State University with a bachelor's degree in industrial engineering in 1957 and went on to earn a master’s degree in 1958 from the University of Arkansas. In 1962, he earned his Ph.D. from Oklahoma State University, where he was awarded the Ethyl Corporation Doctoral Fellowship. In 1965, he joined the faculty in what is now the Virginia Tech Grado Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering (ISE), where he served for 30 years. While at Virginia Tech, he founded and chaired the systems engineering graduate program — one of the first of its kind. He went on to serve as the associate dean of research for the College of Engineering. 

"Wolt was a legend in the systems engineering community with his teaching, advising, and dissemination of knowledge through the books he authored. His contributions truly helped put Virginia Tech on the map for systems engineering,” said Eileen Van Aken '88, professor and head of the department. “When I was an undergraduate student serving as president of ISE’s honor society, Wolt served as our faculty advisor. He was supportive and had high expectations of us, which began our strong tradition of winning the award for best chapter in the country for many years. He inspired all of us as student leaders to make a difference for the department and our student body."

Fabrycky co-authored six Prentice Hall textbooks that have appeared in two dozen revisions and translations since 1964 — texts that are still widely used today and regarded as the basis for systems engineering education. Wolt served as editor of the Pearson Prentice Hall International Series in Industrial and Systems Engineering for nearly half a century.

Throughout his career, Fabrycky received numerous engineering and systems engineering awards. He was elected fellow in multiple professional societies: the American Institute of Industrial Engineers, now the Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers (IISE) in 1978; the American Association for the Advancement of Science; the International Council on Systems Engineering (INCOSE) in 1999; and the American Society for Engineering Education in 2007. Fabrycky received the IISE Holtzman Distinguished Educator Award in 1990; the Lohmann Medal from the College of Engineering at Oklahoma State in 1992, the Wellington Award in 2004 from the IISE Engineering Economy Division; and the INCOSE Pioneer Award, awarded jointly to Fabrycky and Professor Emeritus Benjamin S. Blanchard, in 2000. 

Fabrycky founded, endowed, and served as chair emeritus of Omega Alpha: the International Systems Engineering Honor Society. He initiated a Systems Engineering Doctoral Dissertation Showcase within Omega Alpha with 10 systems engineering doctoral students participating — providing a reliable worldwide benchmark for systems engineering doctoral research. Wolt was a past president of Alpha Pi Mu and was a longtime member of its executive council. Additionally, he contributed to the Order of the Engineer, Tau Beta Pi, and Sigma Xi. 

He served on the boards of IISE, INCOSE, ABET, Alpha Pi Mu, the American Association of Engineering Education, and the Omega Alpha Association. Fabrycky was also a member of the Virginia Tech Ut Prosim Society. 

Throughout his many roles as a systems engineer, researcher, educator, and leader, Fabrycky left a marked impact on his colleagues, students, and the field of industrial and systems engineering at large. 

“Ut Prosim (That I May Serve) was exemplified robustly within Dr. Wolter Fabrycky – as a citizen of the Hokie community, as a citizen within his discipline, and with his students – of which I am one,” said Dinesh Verma, professor of systems engineering at the Stevens Institute of Technology, former research scientist at Virginia Tech, and longtime friend and colleague of Fabrycky. “I first met Dr. Fabrycky in the spring of 1989 – little did I know then that the trajectory of my professional career was about to get re-vectored. I will be forever grateful for having him as my advisor, mentor, and friend over the course of the past 35 years.”

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