Earl Cheit, former dean and professor emeritus at the Haas School of Business, died of cancer Aug. 2. He was 87.

Cheit, known by many as “Budd,” served as dean of the business school, which he joined almost six decades ago, from 1976 to 1982 and 1990-91. During his time at UC Berkeley, he held several other senior campus positions including executive vice chancellor, athletic director and UC vice president of financial and business management.

“I can’t think of anyone whose variety of services to the campus has been so significant,” said Haas professor David Vogel, a member of the school’s business and public policy group, which was founded by Cheit. “A major part of his life and commitment was to Berkeley and many different aspects of it. His legacy at the school and at the university is a very permanent one.”

David Aaker, a professor emeritus at Haas, described Cheit as a distinctively effective leader and remembered his surprise when the hallways of Barrows Hall — where the business school was previously located — were painted just months after Cheit took over as dean.

“We always thought, ‘Well, Berkeley is a bureaucracy, and nobody can get anything done,’ and Budd Cheit … completely changed the curriculum,” Aaker said. “He was just an incredible talent and an incredible person.”

During his time at Haas, Cheit embedded a passion for interest in teaching in the school, said Haas senior lecturer Sara Beckman. The business school’s award for excellence in teaching and one of the building’s classroom wings were named after Cheit.

Cheit also played a critical role in fundraising for Haas, Vogel said. His close relationship with the family of Walter A. Haas Sr., an alumnus of the business school and former president and chair of Levi Strauss & Co., led the way to securing funding for a new building of the school.

Aside from academics, Cheit was also passionate in the arts and was founding chair of the Cal Performances Board of Trustees.

Matias Tarnopolsky, director of Cal Performances, recalled Cheit’s reaction when he was invited to sit onstage as the renowned Takacs Quartet played after he was presented with the Cal Performances Award of Distinction in the Performing Arts from the board of trustees in 2010.

“The sheer enjoyment, his enjoyment about sitting amongst these great artists and being in the middle of the sound, that twinkle in his eye, that broad smile, that soaking up the music — that’ll be my overriding memory of him,” Tarnopolsky said.

Cheit served as campus executive vice chancellor from 1965 to 1969 and interim athletic director from 1993 to 1994. These diverse roles Cheit held are a testament to his dedication to UC Berkeley, said his son, Dave Cheit.

“One of the great constants in my entire life has been how much he loved the University, the campus, and the Golden Bears,” Dave Cheit, who graduated from UC Berkeley in 1974 and the UC Berkeley School of Law in 1985, said in an email.

Cheit’s success in such a variety of positions stemmed from his compassion and ability to connect with people, said Haas professor John Morgan, who saw Cheit as a mentor.

“He was interested in people, whereas many academics are just interested in ideas … That’s really reflected in the breadth of his involvement,” Morgan said. “Where Budd’s true passion lay was either doing extraordinary things himself or enabling others to do extraordinary things.”

Cheit is survived by his wife, June Cheit, four children and three grandchildren.

A memorial service for Cheit will be held on campus in the fall.

Somin Park is a news editor. Contact her at sominpark@dailycal.org and follow her on Twitter @_sominpark.

John G. Sperling, a UC Berkeley alumnus and the founder of the University of Phoenix, died at a hospital in the Bay Area on Friday. He was 93.

Sperling was best known for his work in the industry of for-profit higher education and founded the Apollo Education Group, University of Phoenix’s parent company, in 1973. He founded the University of Phoenix in Arizona in 1978, which, under his leadership, became one of the first schools to develop internet-based education.

Sperling, who suffered from dyslexia and was poorly educated in his youth, learned to read during his time in the U.S. Merchant Marine. He received his bachelor’s degree from Reed College and went on to earn his doctorate in 18th-century English mercantile history from UC Berkeley in 1955.

“He definitely was an out-of-the box kind of thinker,” said Hugh Porter, the vice president for college relations at Reed College. “If you presented him with a problem, he would tell you a solution to it which you might not want to do, but you’d also have to admit it might work.”

Porter said Sperling, through the University of Phoenix, aspired to give an education to anyone who wanted one, regardless of background. He was concerned that the educational delivery methods of traditional schools couldn’t be sufficiently scaled to the high amount demanded.

Jorge Klor de Alva, a former president of the University of Phoenix, described Sperling as his close friend and worked with him for more than 40 years.

He said he most enjoyed the “thousands of hours” of debates he and Sperling would have, which ranged in topic from mathematics to religion to family life. The two kept debating until a week before Sperling’s death.

Terri Bishop, a vice chairwoman of the Apollo Education Group, said Sperling was a father figure and mentor to her and to many and inspired passion among his peers and coworkers. Despite his sharp tongue and love of argument, she said, he had a reputation as an “every man’s man.”

She said he was known for being an avid reader and would carry around stacks of future reading material — everything from economic magazines to scientific journals. On long international flights while she was trying to sleep, he would pester her with magazine articles to read, Bishop added.

“He was just relentless in his pursuit of information,” she said. “I’ve never seen anybody like that.”

In recent years, the University of Phoenix has been criticized for the amount of federal financial aid it receives and the disproportionately high number of students who have dropped out of the school as general scrutiny of for-profit higher education increased.

Klor de Alva, however, said these criticisms were unjustified, and when the university lowered its standards for admission, its failure rate rose as the university began to receive applicants with less education prior to enrollment.

Porter said that though the University of Phoenix had a problematic reputation toward the end of his life, Sperling’s intentions were noble.

“He really wanted people from many different walks of life to have access to higher education,” Porter said. “Despite all the legal troubles University of Phoenix had, I think (Sperling’s) heart was in the right place.”
According to de Alva, also a UC Berkeley alumnus, Sperling’s years on campus were some of the happiest in his life.

“Among the many things that (Sperling) spoke about that brought a real cheer to him and a real a gleam in his eye was his time spent at Berkeley,” he said. “That’s where he learned to appreciate the world of the mind.”
Sperling is survived by his long-time companion, ex-wife, son, daughter-in-law and two grandchildren.

Contact G. Haley Massara at gmassara@dailycal.org and follow her on Twitter @BylineGraph.

UC Berkeley professor emeritus Gregory Grossman, a leading scholar specializing in the study of Soviet economy, died Aug. 14. He was 93.

Grossman was the author of several publications outlining the inner workings of Soviet society. He coined the terms “command economy” and “second economy,” now widely used among economists.

In 1991, he received the lifetime achievement award from the American Association for the Advancement of Slavic Studies.

“(He was) the kind of scholar whose towering stature in the field was among the reasons that UC Berkeley was and remained great as a research university,” said colleague George Breslauer, UC Berkeley’s former executive vice chancellor and provost, in an email. “He set the standard, nationally and internationally, for how to understand and study the Soviet economy.”

Breslauer reasoned that Grossman’s self-discipline helped him rise to the top, recalling that the Loma Prieta earthquake struck while Grossman was giving a presentation. While the rest of the faculty rushed under doorways and tables, Grossman stood unperturbed and continued.

Born in the aftermath of the Russian Revolution, Grossman fled with his family to China when he was young. Grossman then moved to the United States, where he attended UC Berkeley. After serving in World War II and completing his postdoctoral degree at Harvard University, Grossman took a faculty position at UC Berkeley.

Throughout his travels, Grossman remained close with his cousin Moses Grossman. The two graduated high school and attended college together, both settling in the Bay Area.

“We lived parallel lives,” Moses Grossman said, describing his cousin as a serious man with a “wry sense of humor.”

Although Grossman was unable to see the rest of his family often, he still made an effort to support his relatives in Russia emotionally and financially, according to his daughter, Amy Di Costanzo. When refugees emigrated to the United States, he would help them find jobs.

“He always felt he was lucky having survived, having escaped from post-revolution Ukraine at a time when he would’ve met certain death,” Di Costanzo said. “Every day he woke up and appreciated who he was and where he was.”

Di Costanzo, who has fond memories playing car games and camping with her father, explained that he also loved wordplay. Although English was his second language, his puns were often better than those of native speakers, she said.

“He taught me the value of word,” she said. “He taught me to choose my words.”

Grossman is survived by his wife, UC Berkeley professor emeritus Joan Grossman, and his two children, Joel Grossman and Di Costanzo. His family held the funeral Aug. 19, and the campus economics department and the Institute for Slavic, East European and Eurasian Studies will hold a memorial in the next few months.

Contact Tahmina Achekzai at tachekzai@dailycal.org and follow her on Twitter @tahminachekzai.

Robert Connick, a UC Berkeley professor emeritus of chemistry known for his contributions to the areas of inorganic reaction kinetics and mechanisms, passed away Aug. 21 at his home in Kensington, California. He was 97.

Connick conducted research in inorganic chemistry and began teaching at UC Berkeley in 1943. In 1974, he became a principal investigator at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and retired in 1988.He is most known for his research of nuclear magnetic resonance methods to determine water-exchange reactions, according to his daughter, Sarah Connick.

The Berkeley native also served as the chair and dean of the campus College of Chemistry and was a vice chancellor. Connick was also the chair of the Berkeley Division of the Academic Senate, as well as the UC-wide senate, among other accomplishments.

Both Sarah Connick and Rollie Myers, campus professor emeritus of chemistry, described Connick as respected. In 1971, Connick received the Berkeley Citation, which is given to people or organizations exceeding standards of excellence in their fields. He was also awarded the Berkeley Medal in 1988, which is the campus’s top honor.

According to Myers, Connick worked remotely from campus on the Manhattan Project, which researched and developed the first atomic bombs. He studied the chemistry of plutonium and devised separation techniques in his research for the project, according to a press release.

Campus professor emeritus of chemistry Andrew Streitwieser said Connick had good judgment and was very trustworthy. Myers said Connick was a “pleasant fellow” who was very easy to get along with and emphasized Connick’s long-term connection to UC Berkeley, where he received his bachelor’s degree and doctorate and later became a full professor and administrator.

“Connick was a banker’s son, and banker’s sons can be very like bankers: straightforward, honest and not predictable but dependable,” Myers said.

Connick was married to his wife Frances, who received her doctorate from the College of Chemistry in 1947, for nearly 60 years until she passed away in 2009.

His daughter said Connick was “intensely curious about everything around him.” He and his wife traveled together to every continent except Antarctica and enjoyed documenting and analyzing petroglyphs, which are historic rock engravings.

James Tong, professor emeritus of chemistry at Ohio University, graduated from UC Berkeley in 1950 and conducted research with Connick in his senior year. Tong recently opened the Robert E. Connick Undergraduate Scholarship Endowment, which will award scholarships to high-achieving undergraduate students in the campus department of chemistry.

Connick is survived by his six children, in addition to his nine grandchildren.

Contact Sophie Mattson at smattson@dailycal.org and follow her on Twitter @MattsonSophie.

Michael Bazeley/Courtesy

Former dean of the UC Berkeley School of Law and professor emeritus Sanford Kadish, one of Berkeley’s most distinguished law professors, died of kidney failure Sept. 5 at age 92.

Widely regarded by his colleagues as one of the leading criminal-law scholars on campus, Kadish is responsible for several major developments within Berkeley Law. Kadish played an integral role in founding the Jurisprudence and Social Policy Program, which allows law students to analyze law from a social-policy standpoint while integrating other fields of study such as political science, history and sociology.

Law professor Jesse Choper, who succeeded Kadish as dean, considers this program to be Kadish’s most significant enterprise as dean. Established in 1978, the program helped set the law school apart from others, Choper said. Though 14 years apart in age, Choper and Kadish were incredibly close.

“I was the younger brother that he never had, and he was certainly the older brother that I never had,” Choper said. “He was the wisest person that I have ever met.”

Additionally, Kadish, alongside his wife June, conceived the Kadish Center for Morality, Law and Public Affairs in 2000. The center promotes research on the exercise of state power and aims to analyze the degree to which the criminal-law system is morally justified.

Kadish launched a seminar that brought university scholars together with some of the most interesting and prominent legal and political thinkers in the world, said Christopher Kutz, law professor and director of the Kadish Center, in an email.

“One of the things that I love about being at Berkeley is being part of the large community (Kadish) created,” Kutz said. “I miss him dearly, but I am glad that what he created will go on.”

Beyond his impact on UC Berkeley, Kadish also led several national law associations. Most notably, Kadish served as president of both the American Association of University Professors and of the Association of American Law Schools.

New York University School of Law professor Stephen Schulhofer, who collaborated with Kadish in authoring “Criminal Law and Its Processes,” said he will continue to channel Kadish when he lectures and guides student dialogues.

“I felt then, though much more intensely, an experience that is repeated for me many times throughout the semester, that of (Kadish’s) voice in my head, kind but unyielding,” Schulhofer said in an email, referring to his initial reaction to the news of Kadish’s passing. “His presence will continue to be felt, and treasured, by countless colleagues, students and law school alums.”

Kadish is survived by his two sons Josh and Peter Kadish, seven grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. His family plans to hold a memorial service for friends and UC Berkeley community members.

Adrianna Dinolfo covers academics and administration. Contact her at adinolfo@dailycal.org and follow her on Twitter @Adriannadinolfo.

Susanna Castillo-Robson, former associate vice chancellor of admissions and enrollment, died Sept. 1 from complications with multiple myeloma, a blood cancer. She was 62.

Remembered by friends and colleagues as warm and as a mentor to students and faculty, Castillo-Robson was known for introducing changes to Tele-BEARS as well as making the campus grounds more accessible for students with disabilities.

From 2006 to 2010, Castillo-Robson served as associate vice chancellor of admissions and enrollment after her tenure as campus registrar. During this time, she advocated disability access and student privacy rights.

“She was a champion of a diverse student body,” said Vice Chancellor for Undergraduate Education Catherine Koshland.

Castillo-Robson worked with a campus committee to create new paths to accommodate students with disabilities. Current UC Berkeley Registrar Walter Wong was hired by Castillo-Robson when she held the position.

“She herself had a history of her own disabilities,” Wong said. “She had polio growing up, which affected her mobility. However, despite her history, I think she really just saw how important it was to be an advocate.”

This commitment to student concerns was echoed in her efforts to improve information technology for students. She was involved with transforming Tele-BEARS to an online system.

In 2007, Castillo-Robson sponsored a report exploring how students used information technology on campus and offered suggestions for multiple improvements. One of the issues outlined in the report was the students’ desire for a one-time log-on for campus online services, which is now AirBears 2.

Koshland said Castillo-Robson was elegant, professional and had a sense of humor.

“She knew how to be part of a team and lead,” Koshland said.

Wong remembers Castillo-Robson’s fondness for using board games to engage with staff.

“We used to play Pictionary in her office,” he said. “She used to always win because she just knew how to guess what these abstract pictures were. That helped me to see that she did have the skill and insight to interpret different people.”

In 2014, Castillo-Robson was awarded the Spirit of Hope Award from the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation for her involvement with the organization’s 5k Race for Research in San Francisco. She and her team raised more than $30,000 over the course of three years.

After graduating high school in her native El Paso, Texas, Castillo-Robson attended Stanford University, where she graduated with two bachelor’s degrees and a master’s degree in four years.

She began her career at UC Berkeley as general operations manager of International House after working for UC San Diego and Harvard University. Castillo-Robson returned to UC Berkeley in 1994 as registrar after holding administrative positions at Stanford Law School and the UC Office of the President. She served as interim dean of students from 2005 to 2006 while retaining her position as registrar.

Castillo-Robson is survived by her husband, sister, two sisters-in-law, three brothers-in-law, three nephews and their spouses, cousins and extended family.

Contact Arielle Swedback and Sierra Stalcup at newsdesk@dailycal.org.

Clair Brown/Courtesy

UC Berkeley emeritus professor of economics Lloyd Ulman died of complications after a heart attack Sept. 17. He was 94.

A highly influential labor research scholar, Ulman was interested in trade union development. His research focused on how a country’s economic environment shapes the structure and development of labor unions. Ulman’s notable achievements include directing the campus’s Institute of Industrial Relations and serving as a senior economist on President John F. Kennedy’s Council of Economic Advisers.

Robert Flanagan, a professor of economics at Stanford University and Ulman’s former student, who collaborated on two books with him, said in an email that Ulman’s service on Kennedy’s council stimulated new interest in the interactions between union pay setting and government macroeconomic policies.

“Lloyd will be remembered by his many students as a dedicated teacher, insightful advisor, and loyal friend and supporter,” Flanagan said in an email. He worked on his graduate dissertation under Ulman at UC Berkeley.

Lassie Ulman, who was married to Ulman for 66 years, said her husband enjoyed being with people, which she said is unusual for a scholar.

“He was very sociable — good sense of humor, and he had a first-rate mind,” she said. “Thoughts of him will always be my best thoughts.”

She met her husband in Boston, where he completed his graduate studies after serving in the military. She remembered that they went to see a “magnificent movie” on their first date, and she fell in love with him because of his smile.

Ulman acquired his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Columbia University and the University of Wisconsin, respectively, before obtaining his doctorate from Harvard University. He worked at the University of Minnesota before serving as a UC Berkeley faculty member from 1958 to 1990.

Clair Brown, a campus economics professor and Ulman’s colleague and friend of 40 years, said Ulman was a remarkable mentor who was supportive of his students’ work even when he disagreed with their approach.

“He helped his students do their very best,” Brown said.

Ramon Castellblanch, an associate professor of health and social sciences at San Francisco State University who met Ulman when he was a UC Berkeley undergraduate, said Ulman believed academic work provided a platform for institutional change.

“He walked the walk; he didn’t just talk the talk,” Castellblanch said.

According to Castellblanch, Ulman always made insightful yet witty observations.

“He was full of bon mots; you could get a dozen of them in one lunch,” Castellblanch said. “It was always like an intellectual sort of shower to be in his presence.”

Ulman is survived by his wife. His family held a private memorial service for him Monday. A campus memorial service will be scheduled later this year.

Contact Suhauna Hussain at shussain@dailycal.org and follow her on Twitter @suhaunah.

Nancy McClellan, known by her friends for her quirky flair and aesthetic eye, died Wednesday after she was stabbed in an attempted carjacking two weeks before. She was 72.

The Oakland resident was assaulted on the intersection of Russell and Otis streets in Berkeley on her way home from a wedding at the Berkeley Zen Center on Sept. 19. Her alleged attacker, identified by police as 18-year-old Kamau Berlin, was charged with attempted murder and attempted carjacking. The case is the city’s second homicide of the year.

The head gardener of the Berkeley Zen Center, McClellan had a reputation in the community for being an extrovert with a green thumb. According to Alan Senauke, a vice abbot at the center, she had been a member of the community since the 1990s. There, McClellan was valued for her dedication to her practice.

“She was here just about every day gardening or mowing the lawn until about dark,” Senauke said. “She was a constant presence here.”

Raised in Southern California, McClellan moved to the Bay Area in the 1960s to pursue a master’s degree in fine arts at the San Francisco Art Institute, where she specialized in painting.

Sandra Woodall, McClellan’s classmate at the institute, said she met McClellan on their first day of class. During their days there, they would get coffee in the mornings and work at Macy’s in the evenings, she recalled.

“We walked in, and we saw each other, and we just stayed friends — really good friends,” Woodall said, adding that McClellan’s paintings possessed a story-like quality. “She was such a layered and beautifully complex person, and that’s what was so amazing about her.”

After graduation, McClellan worked as a paralegal for about 20 years at the Law Offices of Robert L. Goldstein in San Francisco. Having a keen eye for beauty, she then retired and pursued her passions for photography, writing and, later, improvisational comedy.

“ ‘Quirky’ is the word a lot of people will use,” said Lisa Geduldig, a member of the improv community and close friend of McClellan’s. “She had this posture about her and was just very entertaining to watch.”

Brady Lea, a member of a San Francisco improv troupe of which McClellan was a part, described her as a “kind and courageous person” capable of developing genuine connections with people from all walks of life.

Lea said that McClellan would often bring extra produce from her garden to improv classes, recalling a particular day when she brought a large bucket of Meyer lemons.

“Well, there were a lot of people there that day, including some experienced jugglers,” Lea said. “So we had this giant, impromptu juggling workshop.”

McClellan is survived by her two nephews. A memorial service, open to friends and family, will be held in the near future.

Jane Nho covers crime and courts. Contact her at jnho@dailycal.org and follow her on Twitter @JaneNho.

David Wessel, a UC Berkeley professor known for his work in music technology, died Monday at the age of 73.

Up until his death, Wessel co-directed the Center for New Music and Audio Technologies, a campus research facility in North Berkeley, where he studied auditory perception and created live-performance computer music. During his 26 years at UC Berkeley, Wessel helped design sound systems, including those at Memorial Stadium, and worked with instruments such as pressure-sensitive touchpads.

Wessel was teaching a class this semester about music perception and cognition. According to department chair Cindy Cox, a new professor has since been found to continue the course. She remembered Wessel demonstrating “contraptions” he invented and going to concerts where he played in major improvisational jazz groups.

“I really don’t have a lot of regrets about things I could have said to David when I had the chance, but I have a million things that I wish David was around to be involved in,” said Richard Andrews, associate director of the center. “Ninety percent of my to-do list involves David’s existence, and now that he is not here anymore, we are trying to figure out how to deal with that.”

Wessel began his pursuit of music by playing as a jazz drummer during his youth, according to his colleagues. After receiving his bachelor of science degree in mathematics from University of Illinois, Wessel graduated from Stanford University in 1972 with a doctorate in mathematical psychology.

“Music must be continually renewed and explored,” said Edmund Campion, co-director of the center. “It doesn’t stop, it never has and it never will. So CNMAT is really dedicated to that notion. And that is a memorial to David. It was his dream.”

Wessel followed his interests in technology and music to Paris, where he worked in the Institut de Recherche et Coordination Acoustique/Musique and pioneered interactive music software.

After arriving at UC Berkeley in 1988, Wessel helped start the center and began his professorship in the music department.

Campion said Wessel was the single most important figure in his life in the last 18 years, as they had worked together since CNMAT began to develop in the late 1980s.

According to Campion, Wessel was not only an active musician, performer and builder of his own instruments, but a major figure in cognition and psychoacoustics.

Andrews also said Wessel impacted him significantly since their first encounter after Andrews was hired more than 15 years ago.

“We would spend time, the conversation ranged from very specific work-related issues to different kinds of music we really liked to different people that were interesting in our orbit to plans for the future,” Andrews said. “So many of our conversations were improvisational, sort of like the way he made music.”

Contact Robert Tooke at rtooke@dailycal.org and follow him on Twitter @robertono_t.

A UC Berkeley student fell to his death during a concert in Oakland on Friday night.

According to the San Jose Mercury News, Zachary Bradley fell more than 20 feet from an elevated and restricted area behind the stage while attending Spookfest 2014, a concert held at Oracle Arena. He was 20 years old.

His friends told police they had last seen him at 7:30 p.m. Event security found him about 11:45 p.m. He was pronounced dead at the scene by Oracle medical staff, according to the Oakland Police Department.

Bradley was from Arizona and a member of campus fraternity Theta Delta Chi.

“Goodbye my beautiful boy,” wrote his father, Michael Bradley, on Bradley’s Facebook page. “I love you.”

According to the Mercury News, Bradley is survived by his father, mother and two brothers.

Senior staff writer Kimberly Veklerov contributed to this report. 

Sophie Ho is the executive news editor. Contact her at sho@dailycal.org and follow her on Twitter @sophanho.

UC Berkeley sophomore Zachary Bradley died Friday night during a concert in Oakland, leaving family and friends stunned by the loss of a man widely remembered as lively and loving.

Bradley fell more than 20 feet from an elevated and restricted area behind the stage at Spookfest 2014, a concert held at Oracle Arena. He was 20 years old.

Bradley, who intended to be a molecular and cell biology major, hoped to be a doctor someday.

To friends and family, Bradley had a radiant and vibrant personality. Those who knew him said he was as much a goofball as he was a kind friend.

Bradley’s Facebook page has since been flooded with friends and family saying goodbye. Many of them describe how Bradley brought laughter, inspired confidence in others and changed their lives.

“I woke up this morning and literally started (bawling),” wrote Kyle Hosley, one of Bradley’s brothers in campus fraternity Theta Delta Chi, on Bradley’s Facebook. “I don’t think you understand how pissed I am at you for leaving but then thought about the good times we had in the moments I knew you.”

Another one of his fraternity brothers, Daniel Han, described Bradley as one of the most genuine people at UC Berkeley and as being “unapologetically himself, with an infectious smile and a loving heart.”

Paul Mercado, who previously worked at The Daily Californian and took Bradley into his group of friends last year, often experienced Bradley’s creativity, intelligence and love of life. He recalled how Bradley would walk to Mercado’s apartment around the corner, often to play songs on his guitar and practice his Spanish. He eventually hoped to minor in Spanish.

His friends also said Bradley liked to play music on guitar and piano, especially the song “Taylor,” by Jack Johnson.

Beyond anything, Mercado hopes that Bradley is remembered more for his life and the memories he shared with people than for the tragedy of his death.

“Zac embodied the fearlessness of youth, with enough ambition and drive to do anything,” said Michael Kinane, Bradley’s roommate, friend and fraternity brother. “Above all, he was the most genuine and loving friend I could ask for.”

According to Kinane, he, Bradley and another one of their fraternity brothers were planning on traveling to Colombia for three weeks over winter break.

Leonardo Rosas, one of Bradley’s fraternity brothers, said he will miss Bradley’s “quirky dance moves” and “contagiously silly smile.”

“I will always miss and cherish all the unforgettably adventurous experiences we had and memories we made,” Rosas said in an email.

Bradley is survived by his mother, Cristal Rodriguez, his father, Michael Bradley, and his two brothers.

“Goodbye my beautiful boy,” wrote his father on Bradley’s Facebook page. “I love you.”

Contact Bo Kovitz at bkovitz@dailycal.org and follow her on Twitter @beau_etc.

UC Davis student Vaibhev Loomba, remembered by many for his magnetic presence and leadership, died over the weekend at Zeta Psi fraternity in Berkeley. He was 20 years old.

Loomba was pronounced dead at Zeta Psi, a fraternity unaffiliated with the campus, Sunday afternoon. His cause of death has not yet been released. Friends and family are mourning a man who was popular for his charisma, talent and an unflinching sense of humor.

“He was my best friend,” said Jacob Peters, who had been Loomba’s friend since elementary school. “But there are probably 30 more people that would also call him their best friend. He was that important to that many people.”

Described as “truly brilliant” and “naturally gifted” by his sister Vishalli Loomba — a UC Berkeley alumna and former ASUC president — Loomba was in his junior year studying mechanical engineering at UC Davis. But his friends are quick to highlight his other talents.

“He was a complete go-getter,” Peters said. “He really did it all.”

In high school, Loomba was involved in student government, ran track, tutored and participated in Model United Nations. He was senior class president his graduating year.

“(He) had so many dreams and aspirations,” his sister wrote in an email. “He was a visionary. He was one of those people that everyone who met knew would change the world for the better.”

In 2013, the siblings co-founded an organization called Satyashakti that aims to empower Indian women with medical and public health education. Vishalli Loomba said the two shared a “special bond that extends far beyond that of friends or siblings.”

“He taught me that life is about the relationships you make and the people you are able to help and positively impact,” she wrote. “He was always smiling and warm.”

Hailey Westphal, one of his friends, said some of her fondest memories with Loomba were during frequent “jam sessions,” when he showed off his natural aptitude for playing guitar and piano.

“What’s more outstanding is he was the best friend anyone could ever ask for — I would call him at 3 a.m., and if it was important, he would be there,” Peters said. “And if it wasn’t important, he would be there too.”

They commuted nearly two hours every day to Diablo Valley College, where Loomba studied before transferring to UC Davis this fall. Peters said even during those long stretches in traffic, the two never ran out of anything to talk about.

“People live to 100 and don’t have as many good friends and as many good times,” he said. “He didn’t live a full life but every second he had he was doing something. And that’s what’s getting me through this.”

Hundreds of friends have since joined a memorial Facebook page honoring Loomba.

Loomba is survived by his father, Vishav Loomba; his mother, Vinki Loomba; his sister, Vishalli Loomba; and the countless friends he made at every stage of his life.

“He was on the path to greatness,” Vishalli Loomba said. “And it is such a tragic loss for my family, our community and this world that Vaibhev is no longer here to realize his vision.”

A memorial service will be held Saturday at Mt. Diablo Unitarian Universalist church in Walnut Creek, California, at 10 a.m.

Contact Arielle Swedback at aswedback@dailycal.org and follow her on Twitter @aswedback.

Amy Jiang/Staff

At a candlelight vigil Monday evening, friends, family and community members gathered to remember Mithaq Salem, a 47-year-old blind Berkeley resident who was killed Thursday while crossing a street in Oakland.

The vigil, held by the Lions Center for the Blind in front of its office at 2115 Broadway, featured short speeches in Salem’s memory made by four staff members as well as remarks from his son and eldest daughter.

Salem was struck and killed by a sport utility vehicle at the intersection of 62nd and Market streets in Oakland and died at the scene. He was on his way to a mosque for evening prayers when he was killed.

Salem emigrated from Yemen at the age of 10 and attended San Francisco State University for dentistry but did not finish. Prior to his visual impairment, he owned a clothing store at the Bayfair Center mall and worked in construction.

He is survived by his wife and five children, who attended the vigil. His eldest of four daughters is a junior at Berkeley High School.

“My dad was a very good dad,” his son said in a speech. “Even though he was blind, he saw us in his heart. He would do anything to make us happy.”

Salem became blind five years ago after suffering a stroke and received lessons on orientation and mobility, Braille and technology at the Lions Center.

“He approached the world with a sense of collaboration and was a seeker of solutions,” said Caleb van Docto, director of services and community engagement at the Lions Center. “He was determined like the ocean … pressing constantly.”

Katt Jones, his orientation and mobility instructor, remembered Salem as driven and determined to be independent. She worked with Salem for seven months and, in her speech, thanked the family for letting her into their lives.

“He loved teaching — he would tell me about Islam, his history as a taxi driver, the Bay Area,” Jones said. “My heart goes out to his wife and five children as they recover from this tragedy.”

Jones was informed of his death Friday morning and tried to contact the family. She found them mourning in their home.

“We all have faith in God,” said Aida Hamshari, Salem’s aunt. “That faith keeps our hearts together.”

The Lions Center has created a memorial fund for Salem’s family, which received 80 contributions totaling $4,881 by Monday night.

The center plans to work with the city of Oakland to improve crosswalks, signage and lighting for pedestrians.

“We want to work with the city of Oakland to make sure a tragedy like this doesn’t happen again,” said Michelle Taylor Lagunas, CEO of the Lions Center, in her speech.

Contact Amy Jiang at ajiang@dailycal.org and follow her on Twitter @ajiang_dc.

Barbara White, a UC Berkeley professor of education whose work involved mathematics, psychology and computer science, passed away Oct. 20 after a battle with cancer. She was 64.

White was a faculty member in the Graduate School of Education, where she was the cofounder of the masters and credential in science and mathematics education program and chair of the graduate group in science and mathematics education.

“On the surface, she was incredibly humble and soft and caring and kind,” said Hillary Swanson, a campus graduate student who had White as her postdoctoral dissertation adviser. “Underneath this was this brilliant sharp intellect and a strong woman.”

Recognized by her colleagues, White’s research focused on the nature of scientific expertise and new instructional strategies and technologies such as computer-based learning environments.

“She was a pioneer in understanding what it really means to have deep conceptual understanding in science and how to develop instructional programs,” said Alan Schoenfeld, a campus education professor and colleague of White’s for 25 years. “She put those understandings to work in (campus) programs.”

In 1998, White co-authored a study that evaluated how middle-school students reflected on the scientific inquiry process through a computer-enhanced curriculum and how this reflection led to increased understanding of scientific concepts. The journal Cognition and Instruction dedicated an entire issue to the piece.

According to Schoenfeld, White and her colleagues were planning to rebuild the masters and credential in science and mathematics education program.

“The fact that we don’t have her pitching in is a huge loss for everybody,” Shoenfeld said.

In addition to her professional success, White is remembered for her warmth and humility.

White often had meetings with her students in her home, which allowed her to form very personal bonds with them. She often served cheese and chocolate, which she told her students was the most important food group.

“She was so supportive of all of her students,” said Jennifer King Chen, a campus graduate student who also had White as her postdoctoral dissertation adviser. “She said to me that she thought of all her graduate students as her children.”

Both Swanson and Chen were inspired by White’s tenacity, highlighting the fact that White completed her postdoctoral degree in computer science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in a time when few women were a part of the field.

“She will be very much an inspiration for the rest of my life,” Swanson said. “She’s really made a big difference in my life as a mentor and role model and kind-spirited friend.”

White is survived by her husband, John Vaccaro, and two stepdaughters.

A memorial service will be held Dec. 3 from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Berkeley City Club.

Contact Sonja Hutson at shutson@dailycal.org and follow her on Twitter @SonjaHutson.

Paul Hanson, a UC Berkeley senior and student-veteran, died last week at the age of 26.

Friends and family remember Hanson for his strong work ethic and unwavering kindness. He served in the Marine Corps for almost five years before transferring to UC Berkeley from community college in 2013.

“I was just proud to have him be my brother and my friend,” said his brother James Hanson. “Me and my brother — we look up to Paul even though he’s the younger brother, because he’s so gifted.”

Hanson majored in political economy on campus after transferring from De Anza College. He had his sights set on obtaining a law degree — earlier this year, he was accepted to the UC Berkeley School of Law and University of Virginia’s law school. Prior to his death, he was in the midst of completing interviews for a number of other prestigious institutions. He eventually hoped to work for the U.S. Department of State.

Joseph Bohling, a Portland State University assistant professor who wrote recommendations for Hanson’s law school applications, said Hanson was the type of student every instructor hoped to have in their classes, remarking that he was constantly curious and went far beyond the course material.

“He pursued his studies with an endless enthusiasm, optimism, and generosity,” Bohling wrote in an email. “Paul dreamed big.”

UC Berkeley sophomore Michelaina Johnson, a friend of Hanson’s and former Daily Californian staff writer, remembered how dedicated he was to his passions, manifested in the long hours he devoted to studying and working for the American Red Cross, JusticeCorps and an international studies honor society.

Originally from Florida, Hanson joined the Marine Corps for four and half years shortly after he turned 18. He served in Afghanistan for a nine-month tour of duty before he was honorably discharged from the Marine Corps, winning the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal for his service.

“Underneath all that muscle and all those protein shakes, he was really sweet,” said UC Berkeley senior Stacie Vu, who laughingly recalled he was still a “sucker for anything Nutella-related.”

Vu, one of the first friends Hanson made at UC Berkeley, remembered that when she got her wisdom teeth removed, he checked in with her every day.

Vu said Hanson didn’t usually speak much about his time in the military, but when she helped him prepare for a law school interview and asked him mock questions, he related personal stories about his service.

“He’d be spewing out tons and tons of stories that I couldn’t even imagine a guy in his mid-20s could already have,” Vu said. “It seemed like a lifetime of memories.”

His brother said Hanson’s death came as a shock to friends and family, because he was physically and academically successful. Still, he acknowledged that his service in the Marine Corps may have impacted Hanson mentally. He noted that his brother struggled with insomnia and post-traumatic stress disorder.

“He tried for years to combat (insomnia),” Vu said. “He didn’t just give up. … It shows a lot about his strength.”

Hanson is survived by his parents, Mark and Cindy, and his siblings, Chris and James.

Many 24-hour hotlines exist for those in the midst of a crisis. Alameda County’s can be reached at 800-309-2131.

Contact Suhauna Hussain at shussain@dailycal.org and follow her on Twitter @suhaunah.

Selam Sekuar, a UC Berkeley freshman and international student from Ethiopia, was fatally struck by a train at the Downtown Berkeley BART Station on Nov. 25. She was 19.

Known for her warm personality and dedication to her studies, Sekuar was a MasterCard Foundation Scholar. The program provides financial and academic support for successful students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds, particularly those from sub-Saharan Africa. Studying in the College of Letters and Science, she aspired to pursue architecture and public health.

Sekuar was the scholar program’s first student from Ethiopia. To her peers within the Center for African Studies, which works closely with the scholar program, Sekuar had an infectious passion for a wide range of academic interests, from physics to premed studies.

“She was very bright and talented,” said Martha Saavedra, the center’s associate director. “There’s this notion that scientists aren’t interested in literature and art and things like that. I know that she had a full spectrum of appreciation for the world.”

Sekuar attended UC Berkeley’s Summer Bridge Program this year and was involved in the Horn of Africa Student Association. During the fall semester, she lived in Foothill as part of the Women in Science and Engineering theme housing program.

Within the small but tight-knit community of international students from Africa, Sekuar is remembered for her sense of humor and enthusiasm for all things Stephen Hawking. She was also an ardent fan of “The Big Bang Theory,” an American TV sitcom.

“She was always the bubbly one. When you saw her, she was always smiling, and she’d crack a joke or two,” said Munya Mahiya, a campus freshman and international student from Zimbabwe and fellow MasterCard Foundation Scholar. “Usually, I wouldn’t understand them because they were based on science and ‘The Big Bang Theory’ … but she was funny, and she was smart.”

Jessica Clarkson, program adviser for the scholar program in the Center for African Studies, said Sekuar was a compassionate and caring member of her community. Clarkson recounted how at a memorial service for her friend’s father, Sekuar comforted her friend and shared a poem about her own experience with losing her father.

Zerihun Feki, a UC Berkeley sophomore who is also from Ethiopia, echoed Clarkson’s sentiments, recalling how Sekuar helped his cousin with the process of applying to UC Berkeley.

“She helped (him) like it was her brother or sister. It goes to show how nice she was and how generous and willing (she was) to help wherever she could,” Feki, vice president of the Horn of Africa Student Association, said. “The whole community is hurt.”

The student association is set to meet Friday to discuss plans for commemorating Sekuar, including a memorial service.

Contact Alex Barreira at abarreira@dailycal.org and follow him on Twitter @abarreira_dc.sue

David Stoddart, a professor emeritus in UC Berkeley’s geography department, died Nov. 23 after years of battling numerous health problems. He was 77.

A world-renowned tropical geographer, Stoddart spent his professional life teaching and serving as the geography department chair at UC Berkeley as well as researching geomorphology (the study of the evolution of topographic features), ecology and the history of geography.

According to Paul Starrs, a former student of Stoddart’s and a professor of geography and the University of Nevada at Reno, Stoddart spent a lot of time researching the evolution of coral atolls and the relationship between tropical-area inhabitants and their environment.

“It was always a great source of pride that he did a lot of work on coral,” Starrs said. “One of the people that did that before him was Charles Darwin, and he saw himself very much in (Darwin).”

Stoddart came to UC Berkeley to serve as professor and chair of the geography department in 1988. Richard Walker, a professor emeritus of geography at UC Berkeley, said that during that time, the department was deeply divided and Stoddart was brought in to revive it.

During his time as chair, Stoddart increased the diversity of the department, hiring the only two women on staff. He also encouraged fieldwork, which was a large part of his career, for graduate students.

“He was capable of doing archival research, spending a lot of time reading and in the library, but the basis of his life was being out in the field,” said UC Berkeley alumnus Wayne Bernhardson, whose dissertation was read by Stoddart.

Before arriving in Berkeley, Stoddart was a member of the geography department at Cambridge University. In 1979, he was named an officer of the Order of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth II. Starrs said Stoddart received this ranking due to his work in halting the United Kingdom from building an air base on the Aldabra Atoll in the Western Indian Ocean. Such an air base would have harmed the more than 150,000 giant tortoises living on the atoll at the time.

During the ceremony, Stoddart was seated near the queen, and she asked him why he was being named officer. According to Starrs, Stoddart told her he saved the tortoises of Aldabra.

“It was typical of David that he would end up next to the queen and that he would have a response that was so great,” he said.

Bernhardson remembers Stoddart as outgoing, helpful and respectful.

“He had no prejudices in what was a very politicized environment,” he said. “Stoddart wanted everybody to be successful despite whether they liked his opinions or not.”

Stoddart is survived by his wife, two children and a granddaughter.

Contact Sonja Hutson at shutson@dailycal.org and follow her on Twitter @SonjaHutson.

Apoorve Agarwal, a UC Berkeley junior known for his sense of humor and calm demeanor, died earlier this month. He was 20.

Agarwal was found dead outside of his Berkeley residence on Dec. 20. He was expected to graduate in 2016 with a degree in applied mathematics and economics.

Kishan Patel, a UC Berkeley junior and Agarwal’s roommate, said Agarwal was his first friend in college and had been his best friend ever since the two lived together as freshmen. He said his favorite memory of Agarwal is when they attended a San Francisco 49ers game together before their freshman year had started, even though Agarwal was a Raiders fan.

“He loved Cal. He had a lot of school spirit, and he cherished the school for how amazing it was or for the people he met here,” Patel said.

According to Patel, Agarwal was never nervous before an exam because he was very confident and realized that “stressing out only made things worse.” He said he and Agarwal liked to competitively play video games and, despite any yelling during the game, Agarwal always knew it was in good fun.

Ananth Cherukupally, a UC Berkeley sophomore and childhood friend of Agarwal, said he and Agarwal had similar senses of humor. According to Cherukupally, Agarwal was sarcastic and extremely witty.

“My favorite memory is when we both were playing baseball — I was in the fourth grade, and he was in the fifth grade, and we were down by a run,” Cherukupally said. “He wasn’t worried, and then he hit a homerun and we won the game. That was the type of guy he was; he was never worried about things and he just enjoyed life.”

Cherukupally and Agarwal were friends for more than ten years. Cherukupally said the friendship made him a happier person because Agarwal, who was a year older, gave him advice, mentored him and made people laugh.

Katy Yuan, a UC Berkeley junior and former Daily Californian staff member, was part of Agarwal’s intern class in Law in Practice, a club on campus for students interested in law. She said Agarwal will be missed for his ideas, compassion and friendliness.

“He was vital in defining our new officer positions and responsibilities — his ideas and suggestions were all adopted,” Yuan said in an email. “He didn’t speak a lot, but when he did, people listened.”

Agarwal was particularly interested in law and Wall Street; he enjoyed dressing in suits and The Wolf of Wall Street was one of his favorite movies.

Patel said Agarwal was a great friend to everybody who knew him because of his generosity and easy-going nature.

“He was a brilliant guy with an amazing intellect and helped all of his friends study for math exams without a second thought,” Patel said. “He will be missed by all of our friends and we hope to achieve the goals that he supported us through.”

Contact Robert Tooke at rtooke@dailycal.org and follow him on Twitter @robertono_t.

UC Berkeley senior Barry Alexander Moores, remembered for his compassion, exuberance and adventurousness, died Christmas Day at the age of 21.

He had sustained critical injuries from a car accident in Rancho Santa Fe, California, according to U-T San Diego. Moores was studying business administration in the UC Berkeley Haas School of Business and was a member of the Kappa Alpha fraternity.

“He was constantly learning, researching and exploring the world,” said Jimmy Connolly, who became close friends with Moores after pledging KA and enrolling in Haas with him. “You learned a lot being his friend. He was exciting to be around.”

UC Berkeley senior Samuel Wallen, Moores’ roommate and close friend, said Moores did everything with “110-percent effort” and was engaged in every moment of his life.

He recalled that Moores had once spontaneously purchased a turntable and proceeded to learn how to disc jockey. Moores, he said, was always willing to try new things.

“He couldn’t sit still — he’d be like, ‘Let’s go hang out at Indian Rock’ at night,” Wallen said. “He was the most responsible person I know at Cal. But at the same time, he was the most adventurous person at Cal.”

Wallen also said that Moores loved puns and that “The Bling Ring” was one of his favorite movies.

UC Berkeley senior Chris Dunn, who met Moores during their freshman year and pledged Kappa Alpha with him in the spring, described Moores as friendly, outgoing and adventurous, with a lot of ideas.

“He enjoyed sharing loud stories with us and always chimed in with something funny or insightful to say, but it was never overwhelming,” Dunn said.

Connolly said that Moores’ dedication to excellence was motivating and remembered that Moores often became absorbed in learning about specific subjects.

“He could tell you more about a specific car model than I could tell you about my major,” Connolly said.

Moores also enjoyed working out in his spare time. Wallen noted that Moores was always in shape. Every day when he came back from the gym, Moores would cook himself the same meal: “ground turkey with a bunch of eggs and lots of spinach on it,” Wallen said.

“He looks kind of intimidating, and he has a serious face,” Wallen said. “But you start talking to him, and he’d just make you feel comfortable.”

Michelle Robertson, a UC Berkeley junior and former columnist for The Daily Californian, said Moores was the kind of person who was good friends with everyone.

Robertson met Moores at a party. The second time they met, she recalled, he gave her a big hug and remembered her name.

Dunn remembered a spring break trip he took to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, with Moores and two others, during which they enjoyed a night of laughter and woke up to a breakfast Moores made. Dunn also climbed Half Dome in Yosemite National Park with Moores and others over the summer.

Moores had planned to work in real estate finance and live with Dunn and two other friends the following year, according to Wallen.

“He inspired everyone around him, even if he didn’t mean to,” Wallen said.

Moores’ friends have planned to hold a celebration of his life at the Kappa Alpha Order on Feb. 8.

Contact Suhauna Hussain and Amy Jiang at newsdesk@dailycal.org.

Nobel laureate and campus professor emeritus in physics Charles Hard Townes, most notably remembered for inventing the laser, died Tuesday. He was 99.

Townes was one of three scientists awarded the 1964 Nobel Prize for the development of laser technology, but the South Carolina-born physicist continued to be a prominent presence in academia for five more decades. Since pioneering the campus astrophysics department in 1967, he was a daily presence on campus, researching and mentoring until his retirement last year.

“In his early life, people emphasized his ambition and incredible achievement,” said campus physics professor Reinhard Genzel, who was mentored by Townes for 36 years. “But in the later years many people who knew him were taken away by his human qualities — he was a combination of this world class scientist and this fine Southern gentleman.”

Townes was born one of six children July 28, 1915, in Greenville, South Carolina. At 19, he earned bachelor’s degrees in physics and in modern languages from Furman University as the valedictorian of his graduating class. He went on to study at Duke University and the California Institute of Technology.

“He would have been a biologist if his older brother hadn’t been one,” said daughter Ellen Townes-Anderson. “He absolutely loved nature but didn’t want to compete with his brother, so he decided on physics.”

An avid birdwatcher, Townes liked giving talks in places he had never been so that he could go “birding,” Townes-Anderson said. She recalled how her father built a greenhouse in the backyard of every one of her childhood homes, primarily so he could grow his beloved orchids.

“Nature was really his big passion,” Townes-Anderson said. “It was the curiosity, just an incredible amazement of the intricacies of the world.”

Colleagues also highlighted Townes’ insatiable curiosity, describing him as having an energy unmatched by his peers. Genzel recalled how, after a full night of research on a NASA aircraft, Townes was eager to meet and discuss results immediately — to the disbelief of his exhausted counterparts.

“He was able to carry on innovative new research until he was 99 years old,” said another colleague, campus physics department chair and professor Steve Boggs. “I don’t know how you could be more impressive than that.”

A religious man all his life, Townes was awarded the 2005 Templeton Prize for his ideas on the convergence of science and faith.

“He felt that both science and religion could help determine both the purpose and the mechanics of the world and that we needed both to understand who we are,” Townes-Anderson said.

The campus community celebrated Townes’ achievements last July at his 99th birthday celebration on Faculty Glade.

“For the students, there was always that awe, that distance, yet everyone loved him,” Genzel said. “Not just respect, they just loved him.”

Townes is survived by his wife of 74 years, Frances Hildreth Townes; daughters Holly Townes, Linda Rosenwein, Carla Kessler and Townes-Anderson; six grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

Arielle Swedback covers city news. Contact her at aswedback@dailycal.org and follow her on Twitter @aswedback.