Vikram Mubayi’s body was recovered on the evening of August 3. (Photo: Reddit/ Sierra Nevada)

An Indian-origin PhD student at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, graduating in 2022 with a degree in chemical engineering. During his time there, he worked as a research assistant at the Burke Laboratory and also took on a role as a teaching assistant.

At UCSB, his research focused on using bacteria and other biological methods to break down plant waste and plastics, aiming to develop sustainable alternatives to petroleum-based materials, according to details from his LinkedIn profile.

His death has left friends, faculty and the wider UCSB community mourning the loss of a young researcher known for his curiosity both in the lab and outdoors.