Christopher James Ruffin, 48, academic advisor for the Interdisciplinary Bioengineering Graduate Program, 
died on July 20.

“Chris was the go-to 
person throughout the four years that I knew him,” said Timothy Kassis, a Mechanical Engineering graduate student who is in the program. “My interactions with him from day one of the program gave me a sense of belonging.”

Ruffin began working at Georgia Tech in 1994 and started working in the 
bio-community in 2001 in the Biomedical Engineering department. 
His focus was always on ensuring that Bioengineering graduate students and faculty were taken care of. 

“No task was too big or too small — he got them all done, professionally and with a smile,” said Rob Butera, professor in Electrical and Computer Engineering and former program director. 

Ruffin’s funeral was held on July 26 at True Light Baptist Church in Atlanta.