On June 13th, beloved Wichita State chemistry professor and philanthropist Erach Talaty quietly died in his home. In his life he inspired many, so his passing has left a vacancy that can be felt throughout the university.

Talaty also left behind a considerable financial contribution — $2.2 million, to be exact — to the chemistry department. The donation will allow it to grow and enact positive changes that will be felt for generations to come. The $2.2 million he left to the chemistry department is the largest endowment it has ever received.

David Eichhorn, a chairperson and professor in the chemistry department and friend to Talaty, explained the impact of the contribution.

“There are three aspects to the donation that he left,” Eichhorn said. “First, is for an undergraduate scholarship, the second is to add to a graduate fellowship that he started ten years ago, and the third is to establish an endowed professorship.”

Students painted a picture of a humble, loyal, passionate man who became like a grandfather to all of his students.

“It was clear from the beginning that he was not an ordinary man,” said Cheryl Dobson, a former WSU student who now studies at the KU Medical Center.

WSU senior Sam Kier said Talaty’s passion stood out.

“He was one of the reasons why I switched from being a pre-med major to a chemistry major,” Kier said. “I took one class from him, and he inspired me that much.”

To many of his colleagues and students, the doctor was a private man whose work became his life, and he liked it that way, working diligently until just three weeks before he died.

“He never retired,” said James Rhatigan, WSU Foundation consultant. “He was an ever-present person in the chemistry department.”

Despite his need for privacy, he was always active in his community.

“He used to watch [my daughters] when they were little,” said Wichita resident Eugenie Perel, a long-time friend who described him as “a different kind of man,” a sentiment that was shared by former student Heidi Larson, who wrote a lovely, eloquent eulogy.

Larson said she fondly remembers his “tattered briefcase,” his “disorganized mess of papers,” and “the warmest smile.”

“Dr. T will always be remembered for his great accomplishments in the process of decaffeinating coffee, his numerous papers about mass spectrometry and his passion for chemistry,” Larson said. “But above all else, we will remember him as our mentor, our teacher and our friend. I am a better person for having known Dr. T, and I am sure that you all are as well.”