Dr. Al V. Jelinek died in El Paso on January 7, 2023 after a brief illness. He was born on May 2, 1939 in Houston to Francis and Frieda Jelinek and had an older brother, Frank. His parents and brother preceded him in death. He had numerous friends and co-workers.
Dr. Jelinek earned his PhD in physics from Texas A&M University. He moved to El Paso in the early 1970s and held research positions at White Sands Missile Range both as a civil servant and as a contractor employee. He continued his research career as an employee of the New Mexico State University Physics Department and Physical Science Laboratory.
Dr. Jelinek was a talented researcher in the field of optics and his efforts were particularly important to the validation of a developing theory describing the optical properties of fibrous aerosols (microscopic particles entrained in the atmosphere). New measurement techniques had been devised and he was able to implement these new approaches, producing high quality data which many student investigators used productively in their education. He was among the very first scientists to apply microcomputer technology to scientific measurements. He was also involved in large scale investigations of environmental air quality in the border city of Cd. Juarez, MX. He authored and co-authored a number of scientific publications.
