| Photo of Harikrishnan Radhakrishna Pillai |
| The Poke Press The McNeese community is mourning the death of Harikrishnan Radhakrishna Pillai, a chemical engineering student who died following a traffic accident Monday. Students and faculty in McNeese’s Department of Engineering and Computer Science were notified of Pillai’s death Tuesday. Pillai had been part of the McNeese community for several years. He earned a bachelor’s degree in biology with minors in chemistry and sociology before beginning a second bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering in 2023. According to Pillai’s LinkedIn profile, Pillai served as an undergraduate teaching assistant for General Chemistry 101 and 102 labs, worked at the McNeese Bookstore and served as an undergraduate athletic assistant. He also completed a 2022 undergraduate research internship at LSU Health Shreveport, where he worked with chemical analysis and high-performance liquid chromatography. Outside of the university, he worked as a pharmacy technician and later as a laboratory analyst at CITGO while pursuing his chemical engineering degree. Srinivasan Ambatipati, dean of the College of Engineering and Sciences, had known Pillai for the past three years as both an adviser and a teacher. “He wanted to be a chemical engineer one day and would have graduated with a bachelors in Spring of 2028,” Ambatipati said. “I am deeply saddened to lose him as a student and will miss him.” Ambatipati also said he will pray for Pillai’s parents to have strength and courage during the difficult time. Godwin Jacob, a friend and fellow chemical engineering student, remembers Pillai as someone who was easy to talk to and befriend. “He was always on the move, doing something and bringing a genuine energy to everyone around him,” Jacob said. “He leaves a blank spot on our campus that won’t easily be filled.” McNeese students in need of support can contact Counseling Services at 337-475-5136. For emergencies outside regular hours, students can call University Police at 337-562-4911 to reach an on-call counselor, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room. |
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