U. mourns loss of Wharton grad student

Family, friends and colleagues are mourning the recent death of second-year Wharton graduate student Elizabeth Kelsey. She was 26 years old. Kelsey died March 20 as a result of a medication overdose in what has been ruled a suicide, Philadelphia Health Department spokesperson Jeff Moran said. Approximately 300 people attended a memorial service for Kelsey March 26 at the Faculty Club. Friends said they were shocked by Kelsey's death and remembered her as a very intelligent and caring person who seemed bound for the upper echelon of the investment management profession. "My impression was that she was not only very talented, vivacious and bright, but she was actually really gifted in the field of investment management," said Wharton Graduate Associate Director Anjani Jain, who had periodically advised Kelsey after having taught her in an Operations and Information Management class. Jain -- who spoke at the memorial service -- added that Kelsey "seemed to have a calling for the field" of investment management. Kelsey had been chairperson of the Wharton Government Association's Special Projects Committee and assisted with the Wharton Fellows Fund, according to a Wharton press release. Before enrolling in Wharton, Kelsey graduated from Washington University in St. Louis in 1992 and was a resident associate with the New York-based firm of Donaldson, Lufkin and Jenrette. Wharton Graduate Dean Bruce Allen -- who also taught Kelsey in a managerial Economics class -- said he and the entire Wharton community were very "saddened" by her death. Allen described the memorial service as "a major outpouring [of support] which showed how much the community cared," adding that it was packed with students, faculty members, administrators and Kelsey's co-workers. "It was a healing event for our community," Allen said. "It kind of brought us to a closure." Wharton Graduate Student Affairs Director Judy Rogers explained that she set up a counseling session for Kelsey's friends with the University's Counseling and Psychological Services and hopes to start a telephone or e-mail list this fall that may be used "when a student needs to reach out." She added that Kelsey's friends are working on "a way to serve her memory in a more permanent way." Rogers, who had met with Kelsey "a couple of times" to discuss various campus security initiatives, described her as "very energetic and dedicated and very focused on her goals and getting things done." And second-year Wharton graduate student Amy Klein called Kelsey's death a "tragedy." "She had a great spirit and just made you feel good to be around her," said Klein, who knew Kelsey from social circles. The Kelsey family requested that donations in their daughter's memory be sent to the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation at 225 City Avenue, Suite 208, Bala Cynwyd, PA 19004.

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