Message regarding the passing of Debabrata Talukdar

Dear UB School of Management community,

We are saddened to share the news that Debabrata (Debu) Talukdar, PhD, professor of marketing, passed away on Sept. 23. He was 59.

For nearly 24 years, Debu contributed significantly to the School of Management through his teaching, scholarship and service.

He taught marketing research, product management and special topic seminars at the undergraduate, MBA and doctoral levels. Debu created a graduate-level elective, “Business Management Implications of Sustainable Development,” as part of UB’s new Advanced Certificate in Sustainability. The class is also offered as an elective in UB’s MA in Sustainability Leadership program.

A renowned researcher, Debu explored key social and economic issues, including the high cost of living in Nairobi’s slums and published research with The World Bank showing a lack of access to basic infrastructure in several Kenyan cities. In addition, he worked closely with UB RENEW and studied consumer behavior around sustainability and economic development. His research has been cited by scholars in economics, environmental policy, public health, law, management and other fields.

Debu and his work also have been featured in various international, national and local media outlets, including the Associated Press, ABC News, The Wall Street Journal, Businessweek, Forbes, Encyclopedia Britannica, Huffington Post, The Atlantic and The Buffalo News.

He is the recipient of numerous research awards, including the Outstanding Graduate Thesis Award (1997) at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, UB’s Young Investigator – Exceptional Scholar Award (2002), and UB’s Sustained Research Achievement – Exceptional Scholar Award (2012).

Beyond academia, Debu enjoyed spending time with his family, traveling the world and working on a “never ending” woodland gardening project in the expansive woods of his backyard.

His loss will be felt by all. Our deepest sympathy goes out to his wife, Nirmala, daughter, Maya, and his extended family.

Please share condolences at Amigone.com

Sincerely,

Ananth Iyer
Dean, UB School of Management