Editor’s Note: This article is an obituary for a member of NC State’s community.
Unutterable sadness accompanies the news of the passing of Dr. Khiêm Châu Nguyễn on Feb. 1, 2025 after a several-months long illness. He is survived by his parents Tòng Châu and Tuyến Nguyễn, his brother Khang Châu Bình, and a legion of friends and admirers.
Khiêm was born on Sept. 24, 1985 in Vĩnh Long, Vietnam. He received a BSc degree from Ho Chi Minh University of Science, graduating second in his class of 200. He also earned an MS degree there with Dr. Thach N. Le, working for a time at Roskilde University in Denmark with Dr. Fritz Duus, and an MS degree from the University of Minnesota at Duluth with Dr. Viktor Zhdankin.
Khiêm arrived at NC State in Fall 2017 and earned a PhD degree in 2022, with a dissertation entitled “Towards the Total Synthesis of Native Bacteriochlorophylls” under the author’s supervision. He continued working since then as a postdoctoral fellow in NC State’s Chemistry Department until two weeks before he died.
Many kinds of academic metrics, such as that Khiêm published 32 papers, or that he was the first person in the world to synthesize a photosynthetic tetrapyrrole, or that he conceived new molecular designs for radiolanthanide chelation — while all correct — don’t begin to capture the magnificence of his soul and the love he had for science. The heading of his résumé states:
“Molecules on my science journey of exploring the beauty of organic synthesis. … Since my undergraduate time, I have developed a growing passion with organic synthesis. Every success in making desired molecules made me satisfied. Every failure gave me a chance to discover some unknown aspects of the investigated reactions. Both make every day of my time in the chemistry lab extra special.”
It is said that Vietnamese people identify deeply with the Lotus, their national flower, which Khiêm sheepishly explained was because like the Lotus, “We stand up straight and express our beauty, even though our feet are stuck in the mud.” Khiêm stood up straight and expressed his beauty, helped by his parents who sacrificed immeasurably for him, but regardless if ever stuck in the mud, his spirit simply soared. All he desired was to work in the lab and synthesize molecules and help others to do the same.
His exhortations to labmates about workstyle and techniques could be very demanding, but no matter what he always put forth far more of himself, often seeming to push the limits of human endurance. Khiêm’s concept of vacations was to use Google Earth for exploring exotic locales during occasional breaks while experiments were underway. In every aspect, Khiêm displayed the traits of the most admirable scientists — sparkling creativity, insatiable quest to learn, boldness in experimentation, tenacity in the face of failure, humility in the face of uncertainty and selflessness in helping others.
An ancient tradition and perhaps the highest ideal in Vietnamese folk culture has been to compose poetry, as emphasized by John Balaban, emeritus professor in the Department of English, renowned scholar of ca dao, or oral poetry, in Vietnam. Khiêm composed his own distinct poetry not in a linguistic manner, but by creating reaction pathways leading to unprecedented molecular structures.
His prowess in this regard placed him among the ‘wizard’ class of synthetic chemists. Khiêm’s stellar success led a wave of two dozen students from Vietnam to the chemistry department. While his passing is a treasure gone far too soon, those fortunate to have known him perhaps can take solace in the privilege of having enjoyed the company of a truly precious and rarefied human being.
Khiêm was a devout Catholic, attending Mass on the half-day every week when he was not in the lab. A Mass in his honor was held at Our Lady of La Vang Parish by Rev. Father Martin M. Tran Van Ban in North Raleigh on Feb. 2, 2025. Funeral services will be held in Vietnam.
The most profound condolences are extended to Khiêm’s family, particularly his mother, who cared daily for him in Raleigh, Chapel Hill, Hillsborough and Pittsboro since October. Deep appreciation also is extended to the neuro-oncology teams Dr. Dominique Higgins, Dr. Yasmeen Rauf and Dr. Colette Shen at UNC Hospitals in Chapel Hill and Hillsborough, interpreter Minh Nguyen-Le and Rev. Father Martin and the many caring staff at the SECU-UNC Family House in Chapel Hill and the SECU-UNC Hospice Home in Pittsboro.
