UCLA Community Mourns 'Truly Special' Professor Killed by Former Student

LOS ANGELES, CA - UCLA engineering professor William Klug, who was killed by a former graduate student in his office, was remembered today by the university's chancellor as a dedicated faculty member who brought "wonderful gifts and talents" to the Westwood campus.

Police said Klug, 39, was shot around 10 a.m. Wednesday by former student Mainak Sarkar in an office in UCLA's Boelter Hall. Sarkar then turned the gun on himself.

"Our entire UCLA family is mourning the loss of Professor Klug, a respected, dedicated and caring faculty member," UCLA Chancellor Gene Block wrote in a statement released to the university community. "At this time, our thoughts and prayers are with Professor Klug's wife, Mary Elise, his two children, his extended family, friends and colleagues. Let us remember and be grateful for the wonderful gifts and talents Professor Klug shared with us at UCLA."

According to the university, Klug attended UCLA as a graduate student in 1998-99, when he earned a master's degree in civil engineering. After earning his doctorate from Caltech in 2003, he returned to UCLA and joined the faculty at the Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science. He was promoted to a full professor in 2015.

He specialized in "computational biomechanics and the mechanics of biological systems, such as cancer cells." He was most recently working with the UCLA Cardiac Modeling Group, using biometrics to help understand the electromechanics of the heart. He previously worked on a project aimed at better picture of the physics of cells, helping to understand the life cycles of viruses, including HIV.

He was the director of the Klug Research Group, which studied computational biomechanics, such as how the shape and mechanics of biological structures affect their function.

Klug received a 2008 National Science Foundation Career Award of $475,000, and received a Samueli Teaching Award in 2007. During a sabbatical in 2012, he was a visiting scholar at both Caltech and USC.

"Bill was one of the most talented, intelligent and caring people I have ever known, and he made enormous contributions in the field of computational biomechanics," according to UCLA professor Jeff Eldredge, who studied with Klug at Caltech. "While sharing a lab with him these past 13 years, I have watched him mentor a series of great research students. I had looked forward to us growing into old grouchy professors together, and I'm very sad to lose a dear friend and colleague and the many years of future collaboration and camaraderie that have vanished for no sensible reason. We have lost someone truly special."

Klug is survived by his wife, Mary Elise; and children Timothy, 9, and Rosemary, 7. A GoFundMe page has been established to help Klug's family with funeral expenses.

In addition to a vigil planned for 8:30 p.m. tonight at Bruin Plaza, the UCLA engineering school will hold a vigil at 4 p.m. Friday at the UCLA Court of Sciences.

City News Service; Photo: Courtesy of UCLA