In Memoriam

Chemistry Professor, Family Killed in Crash

REMEMBERED: A memorial service for Magomedov, an assistant professor of chemistry, his wife, and 3-year-old son was held March 4 at the Interfaith Chapel.

Nabi Magomedov, an assistant professor of chemistry who colleagues say was establishing a significant career as a young teacher and researcher, died February 7 in an accident on the New York State Thruway.

Also killed in the crash were Magomedov’s wife, Natalya Shcherbinina, and their 3-year-old son, Amir Magomedov, according to state police. The accident occurred in Harriman, Orange County, when the family’s SUV was hit head-on by a semitrailer that crossed the median and entered the northbound lane.

“This is a true loss for the department as well as for his colleagues in organic chemistry across the country,” says Robert Boeckman Jr., chair of the Department of Chemistry. “Nabi had made significant contributions in his career at the University, and we’ll all miss his creative insights and his drive to excel.”

Magomedov came to the University in 2002 after completing his doctorate in chemistry from Ohio State University and postdoctoral work at Harvard University. He earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from St. Petersburg University in Russia. Magomedov’s research focused on the discovery and development of new reactions in the field of synthetic organic chemistry.

His ambition and sense of innovation earned him a number of young investigator awards, notably the Amgen New Faculty Award and the Research Corporation’s Research Innovation Award.

A memorial service was held March 4 at the Interfaith Chapel.

“The deaths of Nabi, Natalya, and Amir are a tragic and painful loss for the University family,” says Joanna Olmsted, interim vice provost and dean of the College faculty. “Our thoughts are with their family and friends in Russia.”