University community mourns recent deaths

Community members returning to campus are mourning the deaths of Engineering sophomore Ryan Smith, Penn trauma surgeon John Pryor and College senior Kambili Moukwa.

Smith, a Digital Media Design major from Rose Valley, Pa. and a resident of Harrison College House, fell from the roof of the south side of Fisher Hassenfeld College House the morning of Dec. 6. He died five days later when his head injuries worsened, limiting blood flow to his brain, according to a statement from his family.

It is unclear what caused the fall, but Vice President for Public Safety Maureen Rush said the medical examiner's report decided the cause of death was accidental.

At Smith's funeral, his father explained that nurses saw him climbing skillfully on the dorm roof and that his son's friends said he loved to climb.

Penn President Amy Gutmann said in a statement that "Ryan will be dearly remembered as an enthusiastic student, a wonderful friend, and a tireless cheerleader and adored peer advisor for the Digital Media Design program."

Two weeks later on Dec. 25, Pryor, the director of trauma surgery at HUP and a major in the Army Reserve Medical Corps, died in Mosul, Iraq after suffering wounds from mortar rounds near his living quarters, according to a Department of Defense statement.

The 42-year-old surgeon from Moorestown, N.J. was serving his second tour as a combat surgeon with the U.S. Army.

"John's career was marked by a deep commitment to service which was exemplified each day in his work as a trauma surgeon and, most recently, on the battlefield," Gutmann said.

He is survived by his wife, daughter, two sons and parents.

Eight days later, the new year began with a third loss for Penn. Moukwa's body was found outside a nightclub near the Festival Pier by Penn's Landing on Jan. 2, said Vice President for Public Safety Maureen Rush.

According to Philadelphia Police spokesman Lt. Frank Vanore, the cause of death was "hypothermia of some sort," and said he does not believe any criminal element is involved.

Jeff Moran, a spokesman for the medical examiner's office, said the case is "still pending."

Moukwa was out with friends on New Year's Eve when he became separated from the group, said third-year Ph.D. student Garry Bertholf, who was among those with Moukwa. When he didn't show up the next day to watch a football game he planned to attend, friends reported him missing.

Passionate about public service, Moukwa was a communications intern in Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter's press office.

Gutmann called his death "a devastating loss to his family, friends and to the Penn community."

According to Moukwa's father, the Office of the Chaplain has begun to plan an on-campus memorial service.

Online Editor-elect Emily Babay, Managing Editor-elect Rebecca Kaplan, City News Editor-elect Emily Schultheis and Senior staff writers Anthony Campisi and Kathy Wang contributed reporting to this article.

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