Kirk R. Smith, MPH, PhD

January 19, 1947 - June 15, 2020

Selected Obituaries (via Caring Bridge):

A Few Tweets in Memory of Kirk R. Smith, MPH, PhD

Few people were as passionate or effective at improving the lives of the most vulnerable as Kirk Smith. We have lost an incredible pioneer and I hope his legacy continues through the many students he has mentored. pic.twitter.com/7YOnBnltJC

— Carly Hyland (@c_hyland1) June 16, 2020

Prof Kirk Smith. A legend.

Rest in Peace. Your life's work will carry on through the thousands of people you have inspired around the world. pic.twitter.com/RnZvp3rsCr

— Shahzad Gani (@shahzadgani) June 16, 2020

Kirk Smith ... to an amazing friend and mentor who opened the fields of energy, health, and climate to me.https://t.co/79qYKJToVM

1947 - 2020 pic.twitter.com/BUhGk7nvtk

— Daniel M Kammen (@dan_kammen) June 16, 2020

Saddened to hear of the untimely passing of Kirk Smith, a true legend in environmental health and a genuinely kind person. He was committed to eradicating household air pollution among the most vulnerable. https://t.co/gH7USWnpsj

— Jon Levy (@jonlevyBU) June 17, 2020

We will miss your enthusiasm, we will miss your passion, we will miss your energy, we will miss you when working on #AirPollution. Our hearts are heavy and memories are shining when we tweet this. #RIP #KirkSmith pic.twitter.com/0LyuGRUv6U

— KEMHRC- Vadu (@kemvadu) June 17, 2020

RIP Kirk Smith https://t.co/mDJRCUuRQw
+ he led/helped establish an entire field
+ learnt a lot from him
+ boundless energy, tireless research
+ we argued
+ he always asked hard questions
+ we were planning a study
+ you will be missed@SETIenergy @jillcbaum @andy_grieshop pic.twitter.com/c0UJImySyj

— Subhrendu Pattanayak (@subhrendukp) June 16, 2020

We lost Prof Kirk Smith. A very respected, inspiring and loved scientist by many in @WHO. We will keep his work alive as the best tribute we can imagine. Rest In Peace, our hearts are with his family. @CCACoalition #breathelife https://t.co/GStcB6kaVG

— Dr Maria Neira (@DrMariaNeira) June 16, 2020

The world lost a great leader yesterday. Kirk Smith profoundly impacted the entire world with his research and his commitment to finding solutions that positively impact health. Millions of households breathe cleaner air because he pioneered the research to make that happen. pic.twitter.com/GdwnexhWXb

— Christina Espinosa (@SocialInnovate) June 16, 2020

Kirk Smith was a dear friend and long-time colleague. He walked into CSE office 1980s with his machine to estimate biomass pollution. Passionate, committed, Kirk made a huge difference through his research and teaching. He made world aware of wicked problem of cookstoves #RIP

— Sunita Narain (@sunitanar) June 16, 2020

I’m devastated by the passing of Kirk Smith, a treasured mentor, champion of the poor, & public health hero. He pioneered many fields at once: exposure science, household energy, environmental epi, climate mitigation, indoor air. @isiaq @ISEE_global @ISExposureSci @cleancooking pic.twitter.com/Rcx43nvy49

— Josh Apte (@joshapte) June 16, 2020

Devastating news. Kirk Smith was an incredible force in many fields, an exemplary and caring scientist and role model. His creativity, impact, joy, and rigor contributed so much, and his work on indoor air pollution saved many lives.

A light has gone out. https://t.co/7ZdYBMJjNW

— Julian Marshall (@MarshallJulian) June 16, 2020

Devastated by the passing of Kirk Smith. He always checked on me, took me to lunch a few times to make sure I was doing OK, invited me to his house for dinner. His intellect was only matched by his kindness and passion. This was Kirk, kind, friendly, humble and a stellar human. https://t.co/eOcX22wC6W

— Andres Cardenas (@cardenaasca) June 16, 2020

Profound sadness & a great loss for clean #EnergyAccess. Prof. Kirk Smith inspired me & shared his gyaan (knowledge) with many in India & around the world. He taught us to #DreamOutLoud. He never ignored my requests & loved to hear about new research. @ccapc_org @NathalieRoebbel https://t.co/3lpFbKNK1c

— Jeff Smith on Air Pollution (@jksmith34) June 16, 2020

Kirk Smith's achievements in public health are only hinted at by his @TylerPrize & other plaudits. I was honored to spend time in the field in India reporting on his data-driven passion-driven efforts to cut the vast toll from p.m. 2.5 pollution. Sorely missed. 1/ https://t.co/H0xWAPSAE3

— Andrew Revkin (@Revkin) June 16, 2020

Professor Kirk Smith- A great mentor, guide and beyond #RestInPeace https://t.co/0QuM7PjNwC pic.twitter.com/ayAjILVOxy

— Vijendra Ingole (@Home) (@vijendra_ingole) June 16, 2020

Devastated about the passing of Kirk Smith, @UCBerkeleySPH & a million other affiliations. In addition to a brilliant mind in public health, he was a close family friend who helped us through the deaths of both of my parents.

— Dr Lisa Schipper (@schipper_lisa) June 16, 2020

Deeply saddened to learn about the demise of Prof. Kirk Smith. He was not only a public health champion and a global environmental health expert but also a friend of India whose immense knowledge and ideas helped us in implementing #PMUY. pic.twitter.com/YpVKg0oxRZ

— Dharmendra Pradhan (@dpradhanbjp) June 16, 2020

Dr Kirk Smith - doyen of global environment health, a generous, grounded, erudite man, whose intelligence and energy knew no bounds - the entire clean air community will miss you. You mainstreamed indoor AQ research. We’ve lost our guiding star. @UNEP @DrMariaNeira @ccapc_org

— Care for Air (@CareForAirIndia) June 16, 2020

Dr Kirk Smith - doyen of global environment health, a generous, grounded, erudite man, whose intelligence and energy knew no bounds - the entire clean air community will miss you. You mainstreamed indoor AQ research. We’ve lost our guiding star. @UNEP @DrMariaNeira @ccapc_org

— Care for Air (@CareForAirIndia) June 16, 2020

Just received sad news from my alma mater, Energy & Resources Group, UC Berkeley that Kirk Smith passed away. Kirk was a pioneer scientist of indoor air pollution and did significant work in Nepal. RIP, Kirk.
Please see:https://t.co/3f2s8YPEYD
&https://t.co/YjdyCmc3VM

— Dipak Gyawali (@dipak_gyawali) June 17, 2020

We were grateful and honoured to host Prof. Kirk Smith at CECFEE's workshop last year.

RIP Prof. Kirk Smith, we will miss you. pic.twitter.com/tlDqfP24IR

— cecfee (@cecfee) June 16, 2020

How appropriate that the first two obituaries of Kirk Smith have come from esteemed Indian media outlets: @down2earthindia @timesofindia. Kirk has made an indelible impact on clean air in India through nearly 40 years of collaboration. https://t.co/UjbvgsD0Hx

— Josh Apte (@joshapte) June 18, 2020

Kirk Smith touched so many of our lives as a scientist, teacher, and mentor. We mourn his passing and express our heartfelt condolences to his family and friends. https://t.co/OaK43xGiDE

— ISEE Env Epi (@ISEE_global) June 16, 2020

So sad to lose Kirk Smith. He was a pioneer, leading critical research on health risks of indoor cookstoves and advancing global health equity. He chaired the IPCC’s 5th report on human health.

Thinking of those whose career and life was touched by Kirk, it's a large n. pic.twitter.com/snZUnQXaOd

— ISEE North American Regional Chapter (@ISEE_NAC) June 16, 2020

Beautiful tribute to Kirk Smith by 2 of his science & advocacy colleagues in India @sunitanar @AnumitaRoychowd https://t.co/ziGlKn4d2f

— Ami Zota, ScD, MS (@amizota) June 17, 2020

We mourn the passing of our mentor Kirk Smith. His signature, “you get what you inspect not what you expect,” shaped Berkeley Air & we were honored that he sometimes referred to us as a spin-off of his research group. The journey continues, with an empty seat on the bridge. pic.twitter.com/ooIJzW9LDx

— Berkeley Air (@BerkeleyAir) June 16, 2020

We are saddened by the passing of Global Environmental Health Professor Kirk Smith. He was not only a lauded researcher but also beloved by his colleagues and students. He will be sorely missed at the UC Berkeley School of Public Health. https://t.co/NyAFbsHHDe

— Berkeley Public Health (@UCBerkeleySPH) June 16, 2020

Really sad to hear about the passing of Prof Kirk Smith, one of my professors @UCBerkeley - a legend in the field of environmental health. He spent so much time & effort working on indoor air pollution in India.

RIP Prof Smith pic.twitter.com/mvU4bGzYo8

— Madhu Pai (@paimadhu) June 16, 2020

Rest in peace Prof. Kirk Smith. His research inspired me and so many others to work in this area of household air pollution and public health. A terrible loss to the scientific community. Hard to believe, and a gap difficult to fill. 🕯️🕯️

— praveen kumar (@kumarpraveen412) June 16, 2020

Kirk Smith's sudden passing stabs the hearts and minds of his colleagues here at Berkeley. I co-taught and co-authored with him but there was little "co-" about it. I was the student; he was the teacher.

— Ralph Catalano (@raycatalano) June 16, 2020

Go in peace, Kirk Smith (can’t imagine that man resting). The world & all of us are better for your dedication, persistence, creativity, humor, patience, and far-sightedness. Gratitude. https://t.co/gIX7ltr0JH

— Tami Bond (@yark99) June 16, 2020

Here’s a pic of my uncle Kirk I snapped a few years back. So grateful to have had him in my life. Can’t put down all the words right now but the world has lost a humble, legendary, kind & insightful person. https://t.co/wRHkM1Pr8j pic.twitter.com/fwBkSylY5d

— Joe (@Joer14) June 17, 2020

Thank you for sharing, @dan_kammen. Kirk Smith was a prolific scholar on cook stoves research and a wonderful human being. https://t.co/R43su05m1L

— Valerie Mueller (@Val_Mueller_ASU) June 16, 2020

So sad to hear the demise of Kirk Smith.A great collaborator and researcher. We could work briefly on our ongoing work-Pollution and Human Capital for India and Africa.His insights and inputs on indoor air pollution were trend setting.
He will be badly missed. @andersen_inger pic.twitter.com/GIr86VNpUy

— Pushpam Kumar (@PushpamK) June 16, 2020

This is devastating news for the UC Berkeley and Bay Area communities. Professor Kirk Smith was a trailblazer in global health with his work on air pollution and environmental health. He will be missed. https://t.co/7zMpneysa3

— Bay Area Global Health Alliance (@GlobalHealthAll) June 16, 2020

Rest in peace sir 💐
I was in Delhi in October last year and I attended Dr kirk smith lecture on Air Pollution, Health and Climate change. After the talk, I & @joseph_v_p had got a chance to meet him, fortunately. pic.twitter.com/ALW97VjjDo

— Jay S. Dave (@JaySDave1) June 16, 2020

Rest in peace Kirk Smith. The world has lost a much needed pioneer. https://t.co/KmNXA0Dezt

— RESET Certified (@RESETcertified) June 17, 2020

We mourn the passing of our mentor Kirk Smith. His signature, “you get what you inspect not what you expect,” shaped Berkeley Air & we were honored that he sometimes referred to us as a spin-off of his research group. The journey continues, with an empty seat on the bridge. pic.twitter.com/ooIJzW9LDx

— Berkeley Air (@BerkeleyAir) June 16, 2020

Rest in Peace Prof KirkSmith. I remember a story he shared about one Diwaliben in Gujarat whom he met 30 yrs back and measured her exposure to air pollution as she cooked on chulha. He championed the #Ujjwala in every conversation. https://t.co/uUeLmUdizU

— Nidhi Prabha Tewari (@nidhiptewari) June 16, 2020

Rest in Peace Prof KirkSmith. I remember a story he shared about one Diwaliben in Gujarat whom he met 30 yrs back and measured her exposure to air pollution as she cooked on chulha. He championed the #Ujjwala in every conversation. https://t.co/uUeLmUdizU

— Nidhi Prabha Tewari (@nidhiptewari) June 16, 2020

Rest in Peace Prof KirkSmith. I remember a story he shared about one Diwaliben in Gujarat whom he met 30 yrs back and measured her exposure to air pollution as she cooked on chulha. He championed the #Ujjwala in every conversation. https://t.co/uUeLmUdizU

— Nidhi Prabha Tewari (@nidhiptewari) June 16, 2020

Extremely saddened to hear this news. I had the privilege of working w/ Prof. Kirk Smith through my work managing the Efficient, Clean Cooking and Heating community of practice at @WorldBank. Dr. Smith was a champion who helped bring to light health injustices of air pollution. https://t.co/lnI3DFiHAG

— Sarah Hillware (@SarahHillware) June 16, 2020

RIP to Prof Kirk Smith,
a model to be followed https://t.co/AuC9NN7Wcw

— Otavio Ranzani (@otavio_ranzani) June 16, 2020

@CSTEP_India #kirksmith know for his work in the domain of #AirPollution. Inspired many and motivated millions to work for air pollution issues. A great loss to the community. 🙏RIP https://t.co/HzW9RoKC8T

— Pratima (@prats_phoenix) June 17, 2020

Pioneering scientist Kirk Smith put household air pollution in developing countries on global health map https://t.co/BbYsEs5eDC

— TOI India (@TOIIndiaNews) June 18, 2020

An excellent tribute to Kirk Smith. Thank you @AnumitaRoychowd for giving me an opportunity to work with him in 2016. https://t.co/6BuzphJJAZ

— Polash Mukerjee (@MukerjeePolash) June 16, 2020

https://t.co/1Fk5tGhYvY Prof. Kirk Smith is no more. His contributions to clean cooking and energy access will live on and continue to inspire. We will miss you Kirk. RIP

— Santosh (@singhsk5) June 16, 2020

Farewell to a brilliant and compassionate friend and colleague, Professor Kirk Smith, a hero at the intersection of #AirPollution and #ClimateChange https://t.co/hGxTBAJCsD

— Jonathan Patz (@jonathanpatz) June 16, 2020

RIP. Kirk Smith made burden of Indoor air pollution visible. A million people, mainly women, die each year from inhaling smoke from cooking. Led dogged effort to push govts to provide cleaner fuels. And that's just 1 of many fields! https://t.co/rMJ6dJkG4hhttps://t.co/u3NnbEMfQw https://t.co/MWZ9ocXM4x

— Albert Pinto (@70sBachchan) June 16, 2020

I am deeply saddened by the death of the highly-respected professor and passionate clean cooking advocate Kirk Smith. We were honored to work with him, and he was an inspiration to so many of us @cleancooking and far beyond. Our heart goes out to his family and friends.

— Dymphna van der Lans (@DymphnaVDL) June 16, 2020

The sudden death of Prof Kirk Smith is a big loss to the community who cares for Indoor Environment

— PROF AJAY TANEJA (@ataneja5) June 17, 2020

RIP @UCBerkeley Global Environmental Health Professor Kirk Smith. We celebrate your life. We will miss you and your energy and love of life and knowledge. https://t.co/d4lJn1WxSH @BigIdeasContest pic.twitter.com/NBNdIVQNDo

— The Blum Center (@Blum_Center) June 16, 2020

Kirk Smith is no more with us. He was a giant in the field, an inspiring mentor to so many, and just a wonderful human being. https://t.co/0BVtmURJYz

— Santosh Harish (@santoshharish1) June 16, 2020

The world lost a great leader yesterday and the LPG industry lost a great champion. Dr Kirk Smith changed the way we think about clean cooking. Millions of households breathe cleaner air because of the research he pioneered @RIP, @WorldLPGAssoc.

— Michael Kelly (@MKellyLPG) June 17, 2020

Missing Kirk Smith so much already. He opened my eyes to some of the most important challenges & opportunities facing us now, helped me find tools to work on them, and set a very very high bar for the amount that one person can do. More motivated than ever to continue this work. pic.twitter.com/IuzzToJ3Xb

— Zoё Chafe (@healthNclimate) June 17, 2020

Tribute to Kirk Smith, a great scientist who chose to work on real but humble problems. His Woods Hole lecture on cook stove pollution was unforgettable for its perspective and impact. Cc: @WoodsHoleResCtr https://t.co/2T62Gv00HL

— David S. Isenberg (@davidisen) June 16, 2020

Prof Kirk Smith's passing is a huge loss. He was my neighbor, here in Berkeley, California, and he was a towering figure in the work to secure, for everyone, clean air & health. The world will be the poorer without his clear and passionate voice on these issues. https://t.co/n8qoSnIuVM

— JeniMiller (@JeniMiller) June 16, 2020

I just can’t believe it!!!

We benefited a lot from his wisdom. I salute Kirk’s devotion to pitch in India’s quest for better #airquality.
Extremely saddened; my condolences to his family & friends

#kirksmith https://t.co/5o486bukQG

— Parthaa Bosu (@parthaabosu) June 16, 2020

Kirk Smith was a giant in the field of public health and air pollution- indoors and outdoor. His work is extremely important for India and I hope we make sure that it will lead to policies and actions for cleaner air. I will sorely miss him as a friend!

— Krishna AchutaRao (@makrishna) June 16, 2020