This is a small plaque in front of the UT Tower explaining why the Texas flag was flown at half-mast on July 28, 2008, in memory of undergraduate student, Vignesh Prakash.
In Memoriam, Vignesh Prakash, ME Undergraduate
The Texas flag was flown at half-mast on July 28, 2008, in honor of Vignesh Prakash, who died June 29, 2008. The photos in the slideshow were taken by his friends in Mechanical Engineering. To view captions, move your pointer arrow to the top of the image. Read the long description of the slideshow.
AUSTIN, TEXAS—July 29, 2008
Vignesh Prakash, a 22 year old senior majoring in mechanical engineering and mathematics, passed away on June 29, 2008. Vignesh was from Hyderabad, India; he came to The University of Texas as a freshman and in his latter years worked as a systems administrator in the Mechanical Engineering department.
He spent his time at the university involved in a variety of activities and organizations. Vignesh was a member of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (UT ASME) and, as of his sophomore year, held the position of Rube Goldberg captain. Inspired by cartoonist Rube Goldberg, college students nationwide compete to design a machine that uses the most complex process to complete a simple task - put a stamp on an envelope, screw in a light bulb, make a cup of coffee - in 20 or more steps. During his tenure as captain, the team won the local championship in 2006 and 2007 and placed third in the 2006 National Rube Goldberg Competition.
As the founder of the UT chapter of Lonestar MENSA, a society for people who scored in the top 2% on standardized IQ tests, Vignesh took pride in sharing this wealth of intelligence and opportunity with the rest of the campus.
Most importantly, Vignesh was a guiding light to all of those who knew him. He would make time, regardless of circumstances, to tutor a fellow student or provide consolation to an ailing friend. Those who knew him well will remember him for his quick wit, endless generosity and uncanny mathematical ability. His presence has touched our lives and he will live on in our hearts and memories forever.
The following memorial was published in the Mensa Newsletter
Sent to us by Rachael Stewart, Newsletter Editor, Lonestar Mensa
Recently we received the stunning news that Vignesh Prakash has passed away. You remember Vignesh -- the tall, handsome young man. The quiet, competent member of Lonestar Mensa -- who as a new member cheerfully accepted running as a candidate for Member at large - and won and was a great asset to the Ex Comm. It was Vignesh who reactivated the University of Texas at Austin Mensa student organization (after a lapse of over 20 years) and served as its president. You remember Vignesh - who attended Chapter meetings, and made some really great parrot toys during that Gifted Children's meeting -- probably came naturally to a Mechanical Engineering student. At the University of Texas Vignesh participated in numerous organizations on campus, including as an officer in UT ASME -- leading the Rube Goldberg Project for the last two years. He was to have begun graduate studies in mechanical engineering at Cal Tech this coming fall. We remember Vignesh -- and we will miss him.