It is with profound sadness that we inform you of the passing of Dr. Eric Nathaniel James, Assistant Professor of the University of Hartford, and a graduate of the Skeletal Biology and Regeneration Area of Concentration in the Biomedical Science Ph.D. program at UConn Health.

Dr. James earned his Bachelors of Science from Stillman College in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. He then joined the Professional Science Master’s Program at the University of Connecticut, followed by the Graduate Certificate Program at UConn Health, under the mentorship of Dr. Marja Hurley. He later went on to join the Institute for Regenerative Engineering as a graduate student in 2010. Dr. James displayed a strong passion for teaching and pursued a career in research combining genetics and regenerative engineering. In collaboration with Dr. Anne Delany’s laboratory, he focused his thesis work on nanostructured scaffolds for microRNA-mediated bone regeneration. He graduated with his Ph.D. in 2015, and performed a post-doctoral fellowship at Tufts University. During that time, he also served as an adjunct professor of Newbury College and Quinnipiac University. In 2018, Dr. James joined the University of Hartford as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Civil, Environmental and Biomedical Engineering.

Dr. James was a kind, thoughtful and beloved member of our group, who had a tremendous passion for teaching and research. He touched the lives of many through his sustained commitment to mentoring, elevating others, and paying it forward. Throughout his career, he was particularly involved in mentoring at risk underrepresented minority students. Dr. James’ commitment to helping others is his everlasting legacy. He will be greatly missed, but never forgotten.

By Dr. Lakshmi Nair

---