Correction appended
Professor Nirmal Bose contributed significantly to the electrical engineering field throughout his tenure at Penn State, but he made great strides in more ways than one.
He would often go on long walks with his students around Old Main, talking about research opportunities and various ways they could further their careers while benefiting the scientific community.
Colleagues said this dedication and approachability will be missed, as Bose died Nov. 22 at the age of 69. The world-renowned expert in multidimensional signals and systems suffered a heart attack while visiting Germany to accept the Alexander Von Humboldt Alumni Award for his research. "He looked for the potential that his students had," said Enakshi Bose, the younger of his two daughters. "I think he took a real, genuine interest in advancing his doctoral students."
Bose worked with doctoral candidates during his 23 years at Penn State, while also focusing on his own research. His most recent work involved super-resolution video processing, which aims to extract higher resolution images from blurry video frames, said Kenneth Jenkins, head of Penn State's Department of Electrical Engineering.
"He taught courses at a high level, and the students really respected him for that," Jenkins said. "Students took his courses because they knew they would learn a lot of stuff. He had high standards."
But aside from his many accolades, those who knew Bose best remember his diverse interests and love for his family.
Arriving in the United States in 1961 from India to pursue degrees at Cornell University and Syracuse University, he became an avid listener of music from that decade. His daughter said he could often be found listening to such artists as Bob Dylan and Peter, Paul and Mary.
And although he was used to speaking with distinguished academics, often enjoying "a good meal and good conversation," Bose treasured spending time with his family, especially his young grandchildren.
"He and my mother celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary in June," Enakshi Bose said. "My father took great joy in his grandchildren. He was very proud of his family."
Bose is survived by his wife Chandra and two daughters Mennekshi and Enakshi.
"The university offers its deepest condolences to the family of Dr. Bose, his friends, colleagues and students," university spokeswoman Jill Shockey said.
This article incorrectly spelled the name of one of Nirmal Bose's daughters. The correct spelling is Meenekshi Bose.
