Deceased July 5, 2023
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IN MEMORY
Rajesh Ranganathan died by suicide on July 5, 2023, in Maryland.
Raj came a long way to study biology at Amherst, from his home in Madras, India, through boarding school in England. He arrived mature, confident and with a clear sense of purpose. Rajesh opened my mind in so many ways: describing polymerase chain reaction and its applications in casual freshman dorm room conversation, sharing South Indian culture through food and playing the mridangam, and devotion to sports like cricket and badminton.
In science, in particular, his mind was remarkable. He was able to synthesize detailed subcellular pathways: they just made sense to him, while the rest of us struggled to follow. He seemed certain that an understanding of the structure of life was achievable, even if a sense of its meaning or purpose remained elusive. He would find the weak point in any argument and push, with unforgiving intellectual integrity. He was brilliant, but not gentle.
Rajesh’s distinguished career in science spanned academia (training in the labs of two Nobel laureates and later on staff at Massachusetts General Hospital), industry (Novartis) and public service (NIH), ultimately focusing on translational research to facilitate practical applications.
I had kept in touch with Rajesh over the years, visiting in person or, more often, by phone. He started a science fiction book club with Adam Kobos ’95, Katie Galie ’95 and me during COVID, via Zoom. We became closer, talking about books but also about navigating the challenges of a global pandemic, jobs, divorce, ailing parents, raising kids. We felt sad, worried and powerless when he stopped participating.
I miss his sardonic sense of humor, his animated discussions, his laughter. I miss his sad heart, particularly in its happy moments. I miss his mind. He is survived by his three children: Nea, Myka and Alara.
Ryan McGhan ’95