M Nadchatram was a Senior Teaching Fellow at the Department of Zoology, National University of Singapore from 1983 to 1988 (now part of the Department of Biological Sciences). Before he left, he donated a mite collection of about 1,500 specimens including 76 paratypes to the Zoological Reference Collections (now Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research).
He was teacher and colleague to many, a scientist and naturalist, and will be sorely missed by all. RIP.
His daughter Indra wrote to inform his old friends of his passing earlier today:
“It is with very deep sorrow that I inform you my father M. Nadchatram passed away on morning of 21 November 2011. I have heard of many of you, and met some, and I thought you would like to know.
He went peacefully in his sleep, and had the most serene look on his face. I’d like to think he is in a big golf course somewhere in heaven enjoying a cold beer with my brother Santha Kumar.
Here is a link to a story that was published today.
Mom and I are OK i guess. Although papa was ill last year, he picked up a lot this year, ever alert and reenergised. While I am immensely proud of all that he had achieved in his life professionally, I am essentially proud of the father he was to me, and the love he showered on me always.
I would be grateful if you could also inform other friends of papa’s. I don’t have all emails, only some which dad share with me sometime back.
Sincerely,
Indra Nadchatram
For his students who are out there reading this, do drop a comment below or email me at sivasothi@gmail.com and I will forward your thoughts to his daughter.
Though retired, he was very active and just a few years ago, “his message to the younger generation of Malaysian scientists is that communication and net-working with colleagues should be regarded as a functional part of research.”
See:
- Nadchatram, M. 2008. The beneficial rainforest ecosystem with environmental effects on zoonoses involving ticks and mites (Acari): a Malaysia perspective and review. Tropical Biomedicine (Supplement): 25: 69–92.
- Nadchatram, M., 2006. A review of endoparasitic acarines of Malaysia with special reference to novel endoparasitism of mites in amphibious sea snakes and supplementary notes on ecology of chiggers. Tropical Biomedicine, 23(1): 1–22 (dedicated to his mentor, Prof J Ralph Audy).
The Biodiversity Crew @ NUS 