Andrei Valentinivitch Pakoulev

Dear Friends, Colleagues, and Family of Andrei, I have had the pleasure of knowing and working with Andrei for a year. It was with sadness that I have learned of his recent passing. I will always remember Andrei as an individual who strived daily to expand his knowledge, and as a fun person to be around. My best memories with him were when Andrei and I would work late into the spring and summer nights on the same project. We would both leave at the same time and head to our cars, making comments about our work and joking all the while. Occasionally we would get so wrapped up in our discussions, he would not realized his car was parked back a few blocks! He very literally went out of his way to make sure I would understand some concepts I was just learning then. Thank you so much, Andrei, for those times. I will miss you greatly. Kent Meyer, Ph.D. '04

I miss you brother.... Enjoy the crab legs... Steve

I’m very lucky to have had Andrei influence my early science career. Andrei would always take time to teach me when I was struggling with a concept, and he was always up for a lively discussion on spectroscopy, which gave me much-needed practice in articulating scientific ideas. I don’t know if I would have the confidence in discussing science that I have now, if it were not for him. I’m grateful to have known him.

I can't count the number of times I called Andrei late at night during my tenure as a graduate student. I could call him anytime and discuss anything. Strange table phenomenon; fear of a drilled optic; unexplainable low power; why I still think I'm right about something discussed at one of our (in)famous "extended" group meetings; how to balance the demands of work and life early in one's scientific career. Over the years, Andrei was a patient and attentive teacher to me. His scientific background was deep and his perspectives were invaluable. If he didn't have answers for my questions, he studied and got back to me the next day (with citations!) He really enjoyed being of assistance to the students in our lab. On a more personal note, he had a great sense of humor-- except when I teased him-- and shared a thing or three about Russian history, culture, and food. I will miss him!

Я с нетерпением ждала встречи с отцом в России, чтобы познакомить его со своей новой семьей( мужем и сыном). Очень жаль, что наша встреча не состоялась из-за этой трагедии. Но я рада, что ему было хорошо в Америке и он очень любил свою работу. Он конечно скучал по своей родине, но я верю, что действительно счастлив он был в Америке. Папуль, я очень тебя люблю и скучаю. Твои внуки обязательно будут тобой гордиться. Младшая дочь - Мария.