The death of a Dundee University postgraduate student in a fireball crash in the United States has devastated friends and colleagues round the world.
The injuries suffered by US citizen Nikhil Andrew Rodrigues (27), who perished in a single-vehicle late-night accident in the state of Maine, were so severe that he could only be identified by DNA tests.
He joined the masters programme in energy finance at Dundee University in January and made a deep impression on staff and fellow students in the ”international family” of the Centre for Energy, Petroleum and Mineral Law and Policy.
Associate dean Gillian Pallis said: ”Nik was an outstanding young man who made a deep impression on all who met him. When he joined our induction programme he was so enthused by the experience of being in a room with 100 other postgraduates from around the world to discuss energy issues facing global communities.”
She added: ”His death is a devastating loss for his family and his many friends from Dundee. The nature of the centre is that it attracts people from all round the world, and the shocking news of his death will now be spreading in a ripple effect to them back in their home countries.”
Nik’s parents Sunil and Maryrose Rodrigues have been invited to travel to Dundee University later this year to receive their son’s postgraduate degree.
Nik was driving on his own to a friend’s house in the town of Somerville just before midnight on June 14 when his vehicle left the road and struck a tree, erupting in a ball of flames.
A memorial service was held in the nearby town of Jefferson a week later.
Nik was born in India and became a US citizen. He grew up in California and Boston where he graduated in energy finance from Northeastern University.
The experience prompted him to pursue his academic career and he came over to Dundee University for its global reputation in energy economics and law.
He leaves a sister and extended family in the United States and India.
Photo by Portland Press Herald