K Byrappa, former vice-chancellor of Mangalore University, passed away following a cardiac arrest at Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru on Monday. He was 69.
Byrappa, a native of Mysuru, residing in Vijayanagar III Stage, is recognised for his contributions to Materials Science. He obtained his PhD degree from Moscow State University, Russia, and was well-versed in German, Japanese and Russian languages.
During his tenure as a VC in Mangaluru, from June 2014 to June 2018, several research programmes were taken up and he secured RUSA and PURSE grants for the university.
A graduate of MSc (Geology) from the University of Mysore (UoM) in 1975, he enrolled as a research scholar with the UoM immediately and then moved to Moscow State University. On return, Bhyrappa joined the UoM as an assistant professor in 1983. By 1998, he became a professor.
Besides serving as the chairman of the department of Earth Science in the UoM, he was the director of UGC-Academic Staff College, founder director of Internal Quality Assurance Cell, chief coordinator, University with Potential for Excellence, Inter-Departmental Programme, and founder coordinator of MTech in Materials Science, Centre for Materials Science and Technology, in the UoM.
He is survived by wife Sunita and two sons Shayan and Nayan.