Professor Kirk Smith’s friends and colleagues recall his life and contributions
Dr. Surinder K Jindal
It is a great loss of a visionary. His immense contributions helped in the shaping of a better tomorrow.
Recently, his e-mails on COVID 19 were highly illuminating. He was active till the very end. He is irreplaceable in the field of biomass-based pollution.
Words cannot define the man he was. His legacy will live long for all of us to work and live for.
May his soul rest in peace!
Dr Surinder K. Jindal, MD, FCCP, FAMS, FNCCP; Emeritus-Professor, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research,Chandigarh, India
Professor Jyoti Parikh
Professor Smith’s perseverance to get energy access to poor women was extraordinary. He used his expertise on air pollution and energy to raise this issue. With single minded pursuit he created the entire network to work on this issue. Today we have SDG 7 so that all should have clean energy access by 2030. While we now have many organisations such as SE4all, Clean Energy Alliance etc doing good work, he used to lament that there should be more capacity building in this area of work.
He visited Indira Gandhi Institute of Development Research ( IGIDR) Mumbai at my invitation in the mid-nineties and spent 3 weeks there. We wrote a paper together then. Recently we met on several platforms to discuss Ujjwala.
His listserv reporting on a wide variety of topics several times a week is something I will miss a great deal. I hope that continues somehow. Your work will continue for sure. Rest in peace Kirk.
Professor Jyoti Parikh Ph D, FNASc; Executive Director , Integrated Research and Action for Development IRADe; Member, former Prime Minister's Advisory Council on Climate Change
Professor Sagnik Dey
Kirk was the ideal example of a friend, philosopher and guide. Even a 10-15 minute chat with him invoked new insights. Kirk was such a gentle human being that his mere presence would enlighten the day. This devastating loss cannot be repaired.
I am thankful for being associated with him for almost a decade. His smile will remain forever in our minds and motivates us to carry his legacy forward with sincerity, dedication and passion to make the world a better place for all. He was Visiting Professor at IIT Delhi and contributed enormously over the years.
May his soul rest in peace.
Dr. Sagnik Dey, Associate Professor, Centre for Atmospheric Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi
professor NARENDRA ARORA
He was a living legend and a fine human being. He introduced us to environment and health. Building capacity in low and middle income countries was his mission, one which he pursued with passion.
Our heartfelt condolences to the whole family and friends. Om Shanti!
Prof Narendra Kumar Arora MD, MMSc; Executive Director of The INCLEN Trust International
Dr. Rajesh Kumar
I had a long association with Kirk. A gentle, wise, and humble person. He was a Visiting Professor at PGIMER and contributed enormously over the years.
May his soul rest in peace
Dr. Rajesh Kumar, MD; Executive Director, State Health System Resource Center (SHRC), National Health Mission (NHM), Department of Health & Family Welfare, Chandigarh
Professor PK Seth
I am shocked to learn that our friend and associate Kirk is no more. I recall several informative, motivating and result oriented discussions with him. I had the opportunity to work closely with Kirk about two decades back, during the organization of an International Conference on Environmental and Occupational Lung Diseases which was held at Industrial Toxicology Research Centre (now, Indian Institute of Toxicology Research). The initiative to organize at ITRC was taken by my colleague Dr Qamar Rahman and as Director of the institute I had long discussions with Kirk in formulating the program and selecting speakers from India. Subsequently Kirk helped in writing the meeting report which was published in EHP in 2001. Since then we became friends and were in touch.
We are certainly going to miss him, but he will always be remembered for his outstanding contributions in the area of air pollution abatement and particularly, for reducing health risks to women from smoke.
Prof. P.K.Seth, FNA, FNASc.,FAMS; NASI Senior Scientist Platinum Jubilee Fellow; Chairman, ILSI, India; Indian Academy of Neurosciences Representative to IBRO and FAONS
Professor Chandra Venkataraman
I add my voice to the chorus of colleagues that your heartfelt tribute aptly expresses what Kirk meant to so many of us.
Kirk was a dashing young presence, when our group at TERI (Veena Joshi, Dilip Ahuja and I as the rookie) started our collaboration with him in 1985. He and his students had started field work in Gujarat and Haryana, while he had in tow his young family, Joan and 6-month-old Nadia. Over the years, it has been amazing to experience his vision and passion in addressing perhaps the most widespread global environmental problem of health effects from chulha smoke exposure.
We have all been enormously enriched by his mentoring and affection and it is now up to us to rise to the challenge of keeping his legacy alive. Rest in peace, Kirk.
Chandra Venkataraman, Professor of Chemical Engineering and Affiliate, Interdisciplinary Programme in Climate Studies, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay
Dr. Santosh Harish
Like many others here, I am still coming to terms with this. I was only able to work with him for a couple of years but it has been such a privilege.
There much to learn from him on how one can approach research and effect real change, or just how much one individual could accomplish in their career. He was also an incredible role model on mentoring younger colleagues, staying humble and treating others with respect. The sheer number of people feeling a sense of personal loss, in different parts of the world, is truly a wonderful testament to the legacy he leaves behind. His was a life well lived.
Santosh Harish, Fellow, Centre for Policy Research; Editor, Collaborative Clean Air Policy Centre
Dr. TK Joshi
It is an end of an era, or as we would say in Hindi, "ek yug ka ant". Those of us who enjoyed a close personal relationship will find it hard to believe that he is no more. Whenever in Delhi we would meet at least once over lunch or coffee, and discuss new projects and ideas. The first time I was in Berkeley in 1999 he walked an extra mile to entertain me at his home and take me around the campus before signing an MOU. Such a great man and yet so down to earth. He had so many years more to give to the world but death never shows mercy. Our heart goes out to the family who feel devastated but our personal grief is also profound. It is just not possible to fill the vacuum he left.
Few know that it was a meeting that I arranged between him and the Petroleum Secretary Mr. Vivek Ray that laid the foundation of Ujjwala Yojana. Mr Ray then arranged a meeting between him and CEOs of all major petroleum companies who agreed with the basic outline of the Yojana before they shared it with the prime minister.
I had feared this unfortunate development always: some 20 years back when he returned from India, he sent me a mail from Hawaii with the subject as “under the surgeon's knife”. He experienced sudden intense breathlessness and an emergency check up revealed a mitral valve prolapse for which he underwent valve replacement. Thromboembolism due to the valve always remains a possibility leading to stroke.
A life has been extinguished prematurely and the loss is irreparable. We will all cherish the fond memories and the intellectual lessons learnt from him. We stand by the family in the hour of grief and pray to God to bestow peace on the departed soul.
Dr. T K Joshi, Member, Central Pollution Control Board, Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change, Government of India
professor Sanjay Juvekar
We, the Indian colleagues working in this field of air pollution, have lost a great mentor and a great friend! There are plenty of learnings from our experience of working with Kirk, that could be a good tool in the hands of next generation scientists in India and elsewhere.
I concur with others here about a book to be collated and sent to Joanie, Nadia and family. I can pull out more experiences and a few photos of our learnings from Kirk.
May his soul rest in peace!
Prof. Sanjay K Juvekar (PhD Anthropology), Officer in Charge, Vadu Rural Health Program (VRHP), KEM Hospital Research Centre Pune
Professor NK Ganguly
Heart broken to lose a valuable friend and an India lover.Very humble feet firmly grounded, and a life dedicated to upliftment of poor. He made this world a better place to live. He will be missed by all who loved him
NK Ganguly, Former Director General, ICMR, Govt. of India
Professor Tarun Gupta
It is a huge loss for all of us. He was very fond of working on Indian population exposure studies and interacting with all of us, and a big advocate of interdisciplinary collaborations. His memories will remain forever with all of us.
Tarun Gupta, N C Nigam Chair Professor, Associate Dean R&D, Department of Civil Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur
Dr. Poornima Prabhakaran
Prof. Kirk Smith’s passing is indeed a colossal loss to the fraternity of air pollution researchers in India, whose lives and work he touched with his inimitable style and demeanour. Most of us had come to identify him as a devout Indophile, dedicating so much of his life and time to advance all of our work to address household air pollution in India. He will be greatly missed!
We join you in sending our deepest condolences to his family! May each one of his dear ones draw strength from all the heartfelt tributes from around the world at this difficult time- a reminder of the spirit and legacy he leaves behind.
Poornima Prabhakaran MBBS MSc PhD, Head-Environmental Health & Additional Professor, Deputy Director, Centre for Environmental Health, Public Health Foundation of India
Dr. Sarath Guttikunda
My first interaction with Kirk was in 1999 via his student whom I shared office with during our internship at IIASA. I was fresh off the boat in this field and he listened to my rants, ideas, and what I am doing with utter patience. He gave me encouraging and kind guidance at the end of that lunch. Thus began our journey.
There was a lull in the middle and my conversations with him rekindled with his more frequent visits to India. He spearheaded the air pollution and health committee report for MoHFW - a first for India, which emphatically asks for making health impacts a metric for evaluating policy. I had the opportunity to interact with him more during the course of these meetings and writings.
As I posted on Twitter, “Kirk was, to the core, an artist for Air Pollution, a captivating story teller, a prolific writer, a designer of Air Monitors, a pioneer for Public Health policy, and above all a leader, mentor, and friend. We will miss you.”
There are no words to describe what the air pollution community lost today - his memory and legacy will live on.
Dr. Sarath Guttikunda http://www.urbanemissions.info
Dr. Prabhakaran Dorairaj
I have not personally interacted with him but knew of his work. His work has made a huge difference to multitudes of women in India as well as several other LMICs. Indeed a life well lived and his work will remain as a legacy for years to come. My deepest condolences to his family.
With deepest sympathies
Dr. Prabhakaran Dorairaj, Vice President (Research and Policy) and Director, Centre for Chronic Disease Control, Public Health Foundation of India
Professor Dr. Randeep Guleria
He was truly an icon in his field. I had the honour of interacting with Kirk on a number of occasions and his passion and commitment for his work was truly remarkable. He had also delivered a talk to our faculty and residents a few years ago. We will miss him. My condolences to his family. May his soul rest in peace.
Prof. Dr. Randeep Guleria M.D., D.M., FAMS, Director, All India Institute of Medical Sciences
Professor K. Srinath Reddy
In Prof. Smith, we had the Guru and Gladiator of Air Pollution Control. His wisdom and passion combined to make him the most effective champion of the cause of clean air. His commitment to end the menace of indoor air pollution helped to free many women and children from the kitchen’s curse of fossil fuel combustion. He combined the sharpest of scientific rigour with the strongest of social commitment. His imposing presence will be missed but the inspiring legacy will continue to lead us on the path he illuminated so brilliantly with his life’s mission.
Prof. K. Srinath Reddy, President, Public Health Foundation of India
Dr. Ibrahim Hafeezur Rehman
Kirk’s departure to his heavenly abode is a huge loss. Whenever Kirk was in Delhi, I normally made it a point to meet him and in each of these meetings his eyes would sparkle while narrating with childlike enthusiasm some new insights on indoor air pollution and the impacts of biomass based cooking. Prof Smith was an amazing person with enormous empathy for the deprived particularly women. He was hugely responsible for bringing, at a global platform, the totally neglected issue of biomass based cooking and its adverse health impacts. In a way the cooking energy concerns have been orphaned and it is our duty to take forward Prof Smith’s ideas and agenda. May his soul rest in peace.
Dr. Ibrahim Hafeezur Rehman, CEO VITO Arabia Science and Technology LLC, Director VITO India
Bhargav Krishna
It was certainly a shock to hear about Prof. Smith's passing, and the loss of such a brilliant scientist and vocal advocate is certainly a pain borne by all of us. It seems so much more personal because had it not been for him these networks would not exist. Beyond the work we did together for the Health Ministry, his passion, generosity and empathy stood out to me in spite of the fact that we may only have met in person a couple of dozen times since then.
He has left a deep void that will require the collective efforts of all engaged in this work to fill, and the messages I've seen both here and on social media indicate that I was certainly not the only one inspired by him to forge along this path.
Bhargav Krishna, Doctor of Public Health Candidate (’21), Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health
Professor Bhaswati Ganguli
He lives on through his research legacy and the many minds he ignited along the way. May his soul rest in peace.
Bhaswati Ganguli, Professor, Department of Statistics, University of Calcutta
Dr. Pallavi Pant
While I didn’t work with Kirk as much as some of you did, I’ll always fondly remember our conversations and discussions. Through his work, I saw how science can help improve lives, how scientists can be passionate advocates and how we can responsibly do research and work with communities. In a conversation once, he asked me a few questions and to date, I find myself going back to those questions as a guidepost.
It feels all too sudden- there was so much more to learn from him. The field has lost a giant but his work will continue- we must ensure it continues.
Pallavi Pant, Health Effects Institute, Boston
Dr. RS Dhaliwal
Professor Kirk Smith was so active and full of enthusiasm every time he met us. He was a guiding light for most of us. Really a great loss.
May his soul rest in peace
Dr. RS Dhaliwal, Scientist G & Head, NCD Division, ICMR
Dr. Archana Patel
My heart felt condolences to his family. He has immortalized himself through his work and will always be remembered for his sincerity and commitment to making the world a better a place.
Dr. Archana Patel, MD, DNB (Pediatrics), Program Director, Lata Medical Research Foundation,Nagpur
Dr. Sourangsu Chowdhury
Prof Smith's loss is very difficult for me to come in terms with. A public health hero, a man of many dimensions. This is a huge loss for all of us, I am indebted to him for so many things, so much guidance, career advice and love. I still was hoping yesterday morning that I could see his smiling face at least once more.He was not only my adviser and mentor, but a lot more. He always found some time to become part of all the good and bad times all his students and colleagues went through. I will miss him.
He inspired so many young researchers, but he had so much more left to teach.
Sourangsu Chowdhury, Max Planck Institute for Chemistry