In Memoriam: Dan Luci

It was with great sadness that the NYU Tandon community learned of the passing of Dan Luci, who graduated from our school with a combined bachelor’s and master’s degree in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering in 2017.

He worked closely with Professor Ryan Hartman in the Flow Chemistry with Microsystems Lab and was passionate about applying computer science principles to the study of chemical engineering. His master’s thesis represented some of the chemical engineering world’s earliest work on the combined use of microfluidics and artificial intelligence, and his aim was to make chemical processes faster and greener.

“He was an exceptionally bright and committed student,” Professor Hartman recalls. “Those were not his only fine attributes, however. Dan was exceptionally good-natured and kind, and he could be counted on to lend a hand wherever it was needed. He was admired not only in our department but throughout the entire school.”

While at Tandon, Dan embarked on research projects at Langone, and he also served as lead AI engineer at Alexapath, a startup based at NYU Tandon’s Future Labs. Working at Alexapath, which creates diagnostic tools that make healthcare more accessible and equitable, particularly in underserved communities, allowed Dan to use his tech skills to serve society, a mission in which he strongly believed. More recently, he worked with Koios Medical, a company developing novel computer vision and machine learning algorithms for ultrasound and radiology cancer detection, and his latest goal was to earn a second master’s degree, this time in computer science.

Everyone with whom he worked and studied at NYU Tandon feels grateful for having known him, and we extend our deepest condolences to his loved ones.

A message from former classmates: 

“We are heartbroken to know that a light as brilliant as Luci has left us. We will never forget the long nights we spent together working on what, at the time, seemed impossible. When we lost all hope, we had his light — a solution to the most convoluted of problems or at least a laugh. His carefree spirit will live on through the tremendous contributions he has made to the scientific community, which we know will improve the lives and wellbeing of so many, just as he himself did. Rest easy, Luci.”