[ V I D E O ] U. OF C. GRAD STUDENT KILLED : Senegal native was to receive doctoral degree next month - 1978-2007

The University community is mourning the loss of Amadou L. Cisse last night. Amadou was 28 years old. He was an international graduate student from Senegal studying at the University of Chicago.

Amadou was a student in Steven Sibener's group in the Chicago Materials Research Center where he studied atomic oxygen erosion. Amadou's doctoral dissertation was entitled "Photodegradation of Poly(Methyl Methacrylate) and Applications in Surface Science and Diffusion Studies". He defended his dissertation on November 1, and completed the requirements for a Ph.D. in chemistry. The University will award him the degree posthumously. As a student, Amadou co-authored several research papers, including Self-Assembly of FePt Nanoparticles on Modified Diblock Copolymer Templates. In 2002 he was awarded the McCormick Fellowship.

Amadou was a chemistry teaching assistant at the University. One student remembered that "he was always trying to get his section to score the highest on the exams, and we usually did because he helped us so much."

Amadou majored in chemistry at Bates College, where he graduated in 2001. One friend who left a comment here described him as "the brightest chemistry student I have ever met."

According to postings he made on the internet, Amadou was interested in contemporary African literature, including works by Mariama Ba. He enjoyed jogging and lifting weights. He was a Muslim who was interested in preserving traditional values of modesty in Senegal. A commenter left a message indicating that he was fluent in several languages, carrying on conversations in French and English at the same time.

Memorials to Amadou

If you knew Amadou, we invite you to leave a memory in the comments section. Please email photos you would like to share to [email protected].

There will be a candlelight vigil at 3:30 tomorrow (Tuesday November 20), hosted by Student Government, in the Central Quad (Rain Location in Kent Lobby).

Saffi has written a prayer in memory of Amadou:
Inna Lillahi wa Inna Ilayhi Raji'oon (Indeed everything is from Allah and to Allah we will return)
May Allah enter him into the highest ranks of Jennah among the Shuhadaa, May Allah ease the loss of his family and friends, and May Allah help us to rectify the society which causes such senseless killings.

8 Comments:
At 1:34 PM, Anonymous said...
I am deeply shocked and saddened to learn of Amadou's tragic death. He was a fellow resident at the International House, where I stayed for a couple of years. Although I do not know him personally I remember him as a diligent and earnest scholar with a bright future ahead of him. He was also fluent in several languages, carrying on conversations in French and English at the same time. He had many friends and treated others with respect and sincerity. All of us who knew him will grieve his loss.

-sukyoung

At 2:48 PM, Georgi said...
Amadou's senseless and brutal death has come as a shock to those who knew him as the kind, respectful person he was. On behalf of the International House residents, the Residents' Council would like to express our deepest sympathies to those who knew him and our profound sadness about this tragedy.

George

At 4:08 PM, Anonymous said...
I am shocked to hear about Amadou's untimely death. We were both Chemistry majors at Bates College and I go to know him during the many classes we had together. Both of us being from Francophone Africa, we had had several enlightening discussions and Amadou was the brightest Chemistry student I have ever met. My prayers go out to his family and may his soul rest in peace.
Neeraj Mahadoo

At 4:28 PM, Mojowen said...
There will be a Community Meeting tonight at 5:30 in the McCormick Tribune Lounge to discuss this tragic turn of events.

At 8:51 PM, Anonymous said...
He was a very gentle, nice intelligent man. He was my teachers assistant for Chemistry, and he worked extremely hard teaching us. He was always trying to get his section to score the highest on the exams, and we usually did because he helped us so much.

At 9:47 PM, Safi said...
Here is a prayer for Amadou, my friend new him personally.

At 10:11 PM, Mojowen said...
There will be a candlelight vigil at 3:30 tomorrow, hosted by Student Government, in the Central Quad (Rain Location in Kent Lobby).

Please attend to grieve this tragic loss.

At 12:34 AM, Anonymous said...
You can read remembrances of Amadou by his colleagues from the Department of Chemistry...

http://sibener-group.uchicago.edu/index.html

R.I.P