In Memoriam: Eric Pedersen

Eric Pedersen

UC Irvine engineering students and faculty are mourning the loss of Eric Pedersen, a third-year mechanical and aerospace engineering undergraduate, who was killed Friday, March 20, in a skateboarding accident. Pederson was skating down Glendora Mountain Road near the Angeles National Forest when he was hit by a truck.

Pedersen worked in the Advanced Power and Energy Program conducting research on renewable power and hydrogen generation. He had been scheduled to represent APEP at upcoming meetings at the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Colorado with Southern California Gas Company representatives.

Pederson had impressed Associate Professor Jack Brouwer in his applied engineering thermodynamics class and was invited to interview for one of the six undergraduate research positions at APEP. “Eric was a good student, enthusiastic and participatory in class,” says Brouwer. “He was even better in the laboratory. He had initiative, creativity and a great work ethic. He was good with his hands and overcoming practical challenges, and he was fun to work with.”

A passionate downhill skateboarder, Pedersen always had his skateboard with him. He was the moderator of the “UCI Longboarders” Facebook group and president of the UCI Skateboard Club, and he often shared his love of the sport with others. A candlelit vigil was held in Aldrich Park Sunday, where dozens of friends, many with skateboards, gathered to honor Pedersen.

Eric leaves behind his parents, Paula and David Pedersen, brother Stephen, and longtime girlfriend Sarah Moore, a UCLA graduate recently admitted to UCI Medical School for 2015-16.

A celebration of Eric's life will be held in the Clayton Community Park at 2 p.m. on Saturday, March 28.