The S&T community is saddened to learn of the death of Dr. V. Prakash Reddy, professor of chemistry. He passed away April 18. A memorial visitation will be held 1-4 p.m. Sunday, April 28, at Null & Son Funeral Home in Rolla.

Reddy joined Missouri S&T in 2001 as an assistant professor, was promoted to associate professor in 2006, and to professor in 2015. Reddy also served as senior investigator in the Center for Research in Energy and Environment at S&T, and was a research investigator in the Center for Biomedical Research at S&T.

In 2023, Reddy was elected a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) for “impactful contributions to the field of organic chemistry, particularly to the areas of superacids, carbocations, electrophilic reactions, organofluorine, and medicinal chemistry.”

Reddy’s research addressed drug design for conditions including Alzheimer’s disease and traumatic brain injury. His research group also worked to mitigate toxic effects of pesticides.

He was a NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory Faculty Fellow, an honorary member of the Golden Key National Honor Society, earned four patents, wrote two books and wrote over 100 published articles.

Members of Missouri S&T student well-being counseling staff are available to assist students affected by Reddy’s passing. Students who wish to seek counseling services may contact the office by calling 573-341-4211, emailing wellbeing@mst.edu or making an appointment by clicking “Schedule a Screening” at wellbeing.mst.edu/services.  

Faculty or staff may seek services via the UM System’s Employee Assistance Program or any of the well-being resources available to employees. Additional details are available at wellbeing.mst.edu.     

If experiencing a mental health crisis or emotional distress, please call or text 988 or chat online with a trained crisis specialist.