Professor Rick Kesseli, who taught genetics at UMass Boston for 32 years, died Feb. 9 after a battle with cancer at the age of 71.
According to Legacy, Kesseli was born in Worcester, Massachusetts to Betty and Dick Kesseli. Kesseli studied biology at UMass Amherst and earned a PhD in plant genetics from UC Davis. He joined the UMass Boston Biology Department in 1992, where he would spend the rest of his life teaching and conducting research until he fell ill in 2024. According to Kesseli’s website, he specialized in genetic research, and taught both undergraduate and graduate level genetics courses at UMass Boston.
Kesseli was married to his wife Judy Kesseli and had two children, Aurora Kesseli and Devon Kesseli. He also had a grandchild, Adrian Kesseli.
Kesseli leaves behind a legacy at both UMass Boston and in the world of science. He won four Outstanding Achievement Awards at UMass Boston — two in 1997 for Research and Creative and Professional Activity and two in 2000 for Research and Scholarship and Service. He also served as a member of the Advisory Panel for the National Science Foundation in 2000, 2002, 2005, and 2007, for the U.S. Department of Agriculture in 1994, 2000, and 2002, and the Joint Executive Office of Environmental Affairs in 2003.
Kesseli founded UMass Boston’s Ride for Food team, according to an Oct. 7, 2024 article in The Mass Media. The team participates in Three Squares New England’s annual Ride for Food event, during which people bike or walk 5 kilometers to raise money for food pantries, community farms and food rescues across New England. Kesseli founded the team in 2013 and participated every year up until 2024.
UMass Boston biology professor Adan Colon-Carmona, a close friend and colleague of Kesseli, took over for him at the 2024 Ride for Food event due to Kesseli’s illness. Colon-Carmona and the UMass Boston Ride for Food team managed to raise over $7,000 for UMass Boston’s U-Access Food Pantry during the event.
“He’s been dedicated to the university, and it’s really a reflection of the love that he has for the university and for our students. And this year, you know, he’s been really a champion. Even though his illness has slowed him down, he’s still actively promoting this effort, and it’s really about supporting our students this whole time,” said Colon-Carmona in a Mass Media article covering the 2024 Ride for Food event.
