In Memoriam
Professor Emeritus and Former Department Head Chander Bhalla
The department is sad to announce the death of Professor Emeritus and former department head, Chander Perkash Bhalla, 81 of Corinth, Texas, formerly of Manhattan, Kansas, who passed away peacefully on January 16, 2015 in Irving, Texas.
He was born September 15, 1932 in Hariana, Punjab, India, the son of Mool and Rattan Bhalla. He received his master’s degree in Physics from Panjab University in Hoshiarpur, and his PhD in Physics from the University of Tennessee. In his early years, he worked as a senior scientist at Westinghouse, and an associate professor at the University of Alabama.
He served as a professor of Physics at Kansas State University for 35 years, including serving at Department Head of Physics for 5 years. His research interests included theoretical physics, atomic collisions, and radioactive and non-radioactive transitions. He was named Professor Emeritus at Kansas State University.
Chander was a visiting senior fellow at Princeton Plasma Physics laboratory as well as visiting Lawrence Livermore Laboratory, Sandia National Laboratory, and the FOM Institute of Atomic and Molecular Physics in Amsterdam. He published over 150 papers as well as presented at international conferences.
Chander was known as a generous, loving man who cared a lot for others. He enjoyed playing golf, cooking, and travelling to visit family. He never stopped learning and exploring new things, especially those that were of interest to his children or grandchildren, who he loved dearly.
Chander is survived by his wife Kamini Shastri Bhalla of Corinth, TX, son Anil Bhalla and wife Loanne of Sand Diego, CA, son Sunit Bhalla and wife Hanea of Fort Collins, CO and daughter Neera Jackson and husband Stephen of Irving, TX; seven grandchildren; brothers Ram Bhalla of Delhi, India and Lalit Bhalla of Rochester, NY and sister Indra Bhalla Verna of Nawanshar, Panjab, India; and many nieces and nephews.
Services were held on January 20, 2015.
Obituary by Bhalla Family