Students and faculty in the Rutgers Food Science Microbiology Lab.
Working as a chemist at a research institute in India in 1961, R.G. Krishnamurthy learned that Rutgers Professor Stephen S. Chang, renowned for his outstanding contributions to food technology and his work on flavors and lipids, was looking for student researchers.
Krishnamurthy GSNB’65—the first in his family to earn a college degree, starting with his bachelor’s in food science—knew he would need a doctorate to get promoted. He applied to Chang’s program and was accepted. With the help of friends, family, and a small bank loan, he bought his first plane ticket to travel out of India.
He departed for Rutgers three days after his first child, a daughter, was born in 1961, communicating with his wife only by letters and brief telegrams—living alone, without his Indian family and community for support.
His family recalls stories of how he was on a tight budget and was determined to stay vegetarian, staying in a tiny room in an elderly woman’s house, eating Campbell’s vegetable soup most days. He managed to send home money to support his family, a tradition he and his wife continued throughout their lives, helping their large, extended family pursue their own college degrees.
Among his joyful experiences, they said, he made lifelong friends from different backgrounds, learned how to drive, and ate his first pizza.
In gratitude for his years at Rutgers where he earned his doctorate in food science and developed the skills, contacts, and knowledge to pave the way for a successful career and family life, Krishnamurthy left a $1 million gift in his will to Rutgers University.
Vimala Krishnamurthy says her late husband’s vision for this gift to the School of Environmental and Biological Sciences was to provide scholarships for future food science students.
“We imagine the scholarships given through his legacy to Rutgers will enable future students, who otherwise might not have the chance, similarly, to dedicate themselves not only to good science, but to good service—in their professions, families, and communities,” she says.
Valuing Sacrifice, Education, Service, and Friendship
“Krish,” as he was known by friends and colleagues, quickly found his niche as part of the early cohort of Chang’s food science doctoral students. He was among the first of Chang’s graduate students to be honored by the American Oil Chemists’ Society (AOCS).
After he completed his Ph.D., his wife and daughter joined him in the U.S. The family soon moved for his position at Kraft, Inc., to Glenview, Illinois. In Glenview, his son and second daughter were born.
Krishnamurthy was honored by American Oil Chemists’ Society (AOCS).
With a strong work ethic, he established himself as a top researcher and international award-winning food scientist with a number of patents to his name during a distinguished 30-year career at Kraft Foods. In 1992, he received the Alton E. Bailey Award presented by AOCS to a fats and oil chemist for outstanding research and exceptional service in the field of lipids and associated products. An accomplished author, he contributed to three revisions of Bailey’s Industrial Oil and Fat Products, the industry standard reference on the chemistry and processing technology of edible oils and fats.
“When we were young, we didn’t know the depth of our father’s commitment to serve his profession,” says his youngest daughter, Veena Vasista. “Nor were we aware of the significant challenges he faced. He alluded to them without detail and only in his later years. As we grew older, we came to realize his achievements were remarkable.”
Krishnamurthy retired from Kraft at the age of 62. In nearly 30 years of retirement that followed, he traveled repeatedly to India to be with extended family and lifelong friends, enjoying ancient cultural traditions.
“Hindu spiritual teachings he carried from India in his mind and heart gave him strength and wisdom to succeed at Rutgers and beyond, despite challenges,” she says. “In retirement, he filled his days tending to his flower garden, cooking south Indian vegetarian meals, playing cards with family at the kitchen table, deepening his personal spiritual learning, and volunteering at a Hindu temple.”
He passed away on January 17, 2023, at age 91, leaving a legacy of professional and community service, mentorship, and philanthropy.
“The Department of Food Science is proud to have Dr. Krishnamurthy as one of its alumni, and we are grateful for his gift in support of our students and the department,” says Don Schaffner, a Distinguished Professor and chair of the department.
To read more about Krishnamurthy, visit the School of Environmental and Biological Sciences website.
This article first appeared on the Rutgers University Foundation website.
