Paul Uche, recent alum, dies after leukemia battle
Paul Uche, recent alum, dies after leukemia battle
Paul U. Uche ’13 passed away on June 19 at the age of 23 following a two-year battle with leukemia.
In an email to the MIT community on June 26, President L. Rafael Reif noted Uche for his “intellectual breadth, creativity, leadership, optimism and open heart.”
Uche was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia in the middle of his senior year at MIT. He took part of the semester off for treatment, but, determined to resume his studies, returned to MIT in the spring of 2013. He graduated with a major in chemical engineering and a minor in creative writing.
He was an engineer, a writer, and a musician who was deeply involved in the MIT community through the Gordon-MIT Engineering Leadership program, at the Public Service Center, and as president of the Sigma Chi fraternity. After returning to his home in Toronto for treatment, he pursued his interests in writing and music, producing and recording a hip-hop album from the hospital. Through his search for a bone marrow donor, Uche raised awareness for leukemia and supported the doctors that treated him.
—Katherine Nazemi