Dear members of the University of Ottawa community,
Today marks a tragic anniversary.
On this day one year ago, Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752 was shot down outside of Tehran, killing all 176 passengers and crew.
Today we remember and mourn the loss of those innocent lives.
Remarkably, 50 passengers aboard Flight 752 were students or faculty members at Canadian Universities, a tragic loss to our community. Indeed, 3 of the students who perished were students at the University of Ottawa.
Today we remember and we mourn them. We remember:
Mehraban Badiei Ardestani, a kind and generous
first year student in Health Sciences who aspired to help those in need.
Saeed Kadkhodazadeh Kashani, a doctoral student in Chemistry who was as passionate about his studies as he was about friends, and committed to using his knowledge to create a more sustainable world.
Alma Oladi, a PhD student in Mathematics and Statistics whose keen intelligence, adventurous spirit and warm personality made a deep impression on her colleagues.
Each of these three talented and courageous students deserves to be with us today, to be part of this New Year. And yet, although sadly they can no longer be present in person, we can ensure that they are here with us in spirit, by uniting in remembrance of their gifts, and in mourning their untimely deaths.
I know that every member of the uOttawa community joins me in offering the families friends and colleagues of Meharaban, Saeed and Alma our deepest condolences on this terrible day.
May their memories be blessed.
***