The University of Connecticut mourns the loss of chemistry professor Ashis Basu, who died on March 13.
The university put out a statement in which they expressed the impact Basu had on UConn and its students.
“Dr. Basu imparted his knowledge to many generations of students, guiding them through the complexities of sophomore organic chemistry and graduate-level biological chemistry,” the statement said.
“His gentle demeanor and steadfast, principled judgment earned him deep respect from his students and colleagues. Dr. Basu’s contributions as a scholar and gentleman left an indelible mark on our institution,” the statement said.
Basu received a B.S. from the University of Calcutta and a Ph.D. in Chemistry from Wayne State University and began working at UConn in 1990 following a postdoctoral appointment at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, according to the statement.
Basu garnered recognition for his research across his 35 years spent at UConn.
“His research at the interface of chemistry and biology used organic synthesis to introduce specific lesions into DNA residues and the subsequent investigation of their impact on duplex structure and the mechanism of their repair within organisms,” the statement said. “His research focused on elucidating the biological consequences of DNA damages induced by antitumor drugs, carcinogens, or radiation. Throughout his academic career, Dr. Basu garnered wide recognition and published extensively in his field. He served in multiple roles in funding review panels, scholarly societies, and as editor in the leading journals in his discipline.”
According to the statement, a celebration of Basu’s work is currently being planned.
“There will be no calling hours,” the statement said. “A celebration of his life and career is being planned by his family and will be publicized at a later date. In lieu of flowers, please await an announcement about suggested donations.”