Key Takeaways
- Professor Deepak Kar, a renowned physicist, passed away at the age of 47 after a short illness.
- He had a highly successful career, with a NRF B2 rating of international standing and an impressive Google Scholar h-index of 225.
- Professor Kar was a pioneer in designing and performing strongly interacting dark sector, a recently popular model of dark matter.
- He was passionate about postgraduate training and supervised several MSc and PhD students to graduation.
- Professor Kar was a valued member of the academic community, a dedicated teacher, and an outstanding scientist.
Introduction to Professor Deepak Kar
Professor Deepak Kar, a distinguished physicist, passed away on December 21, 2025, at the age of 47, after a short illness. His passing has sent shockwaves through the academic community, with colleagues and friends remembering him as a dedicated teacher, outstanding scientist, and larger-than-life character. Born on June 13, 1979, in Maryland, United States of America, Professor Kar spent his childhood in India before moving back to America to pursue his academic career. He obtained his PhD in 2008 from the Department of Physics, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, and went on to hold postdoctoral research positions at various prestigious institutions, including IKTP, TU Dresden, Germany, and the University of Glasgow, United Kingdom.
Academic Career and Achievements
Professor Kar joined the School of Physics, University of the Witwatersrand, in March 2015 as a Lecturer and was subsequently promoted to Senior Lecturer in May 2016 and to Associate Professor in May 2019. In October 2025, he was promoted to Full Professor, a testament to his exceptional academic achievements. He delivered his inaugural lecture, titled "Novel dark matter searches at the Large Hadron Collider at CERN," on July 23, 2025, showcasing his expertise in particle physics. Professor Kar’s research interests spanned measurements sensitive to different aspects of quantum chromodynamics, Monte Carlo event generators, and searches for new physics in novel final states. He was a pioneer in designing and performing strongly interacting dark sector, a recently popular model of dark matter, and had an impressive Google Scholar h-index of 225, with over 1300 publications and several hundred thousand citations.
Contributions to the Academic Community
Professor Kar was passionate about postgraduate training and supervised several MSc and PhD students to graduation, including hosting several postdoctoral fellows. He was proud of his postgraduate students’ achievements, with many receiving prestigious bursaries and awards at international and national conferences. Recently, one of his MSc students was selected for the prestigious CERN summer program, a highly competitive program that attracts applicants from around the world. Professor Kar was also successful in attracting research grants and awards, including the prestigious Royal Society Wolfson Visiting Fellowship in 2024. He served on several committees, including the Council of the South African Institute of Physics, and was a reviewer for numerous journals, assessor of grant applications, examiner of Dissertations and Theses, and evaluator of Postgraduate competitions.
Personal Life and Interests
Professor Kar was an avid explorer of culture, cuisine, and historic sites, having traveled to over 130 countries worldwide. His life ambition was to conquer all parts of the globe, and he recently visited Afghanistan and Libya, where he contracted malaria before passing away in India. Colleagues and friends remember him as a cheerful spirit and a larger-than-life character, filled with energy and enthusiasm about life’s mysteries. His passing has left a significant void in the academic community, and he will be deeply missed by his family, friends, and colleagues.
Tributes and Condolences
Professor Deena Naidoo, Head of the School of Physics, paid tribute to Professor Kar, saying, "Professor Kar has been a valued member of our academic community, a dedicated teacher, and an outstanding scientist. His work, including his significant contributions through CERN, had a lasting impact on the School of Physics. A great loss to the particle physics community at a tender age of 47 years. We will always remember him for his cheerful spirit and collegial presence." Professor Nithaya Chetty, Dean of the Faculty of Science, also expressed his shock and sadness at Professor Kar’s passing, saying, "I am deeply shocked by the untimely passing of Professor Kar. He was a larger-than-life character, filled with energy and enthusiasm about life’s mysteries, whether this was through his research in experimental particle physics or his interests in AI or his very extensive travels around the world. He died doing what he loved most, which was to experience different cultures around the world. His contributions to physics were immense, and he will be sorely missed." Wits University offers its sincere condolences to Professor Kar’s family, friends, and colleagues.
