First Lt. Mohsin A. Naqvi, a 2005 Geneseo graduate, was among four killed on Sept. 17 when an improvised explosive device struck his vehicle in Gerdia Seria, Afghanistan.
According to an Associated Press article, Naqvi, born in Pakistan, moved to America at age 8 with his family. They settled in Newburgh, N.Y., where he grew up and went to school. When Naqvi was 16, he became a naturalized U.S. citizen. He joined the Army Reserve in the days after Sept. 11. Naqvi, a transfer student from the Rochester Institute of Technology, majored in computer science at Geneseo.
Cathy Taylor, secretary of the computer science department, remembers him as "a serious, but fun loving guy."
"He was very patriotic," she said. "He basically had two jobs: school and the military. It's hard to believe he's never coming back. I used to get excited when I saw him walking down the halls. He'd break up the monotony of the day."
Cynthia Klima, professor of foreign languages, had him as a student in her Western Humanities I class.
"He was a good contributor in class," she said. "He had a very different viewpoint and saw things from another side. He felt it was his duty as an American citizen to make sure people did not lump all Muslims together with the people who committed 9/11. He was a different type of student, happy-go-lucky, but he knew what his direction was."
In a statement to the campus community, President Dahl informed students and faculty that the Geneseo flags flown at half-mast on Sept. 29 were in honor of Naqvi.
"Military service is public service and we are indebted to Mohsin for his sacrifice," said Dahl. "His death is deeply felt by our community, and I know that all the members of the College community join me in expressing heartfelt condolences to his family."
Jim Williams, professor of history, taught Naqvi as a directed study student.
"He was a very engaging individual with social intelligence," he said. "He was diligent with his reading and attendance."
Williams kept in contact with Naqvi until January 2006 before Naqvi went to the United States Ranger School.
According to an article in the Poughkeepsie Journal, "Mohsin Naqvi had served a tour in Iraq before being deployed to Afghanistan, and family members said his Muslim faith was a constant source of taunting."
The article also quoted his brother, Hassan Naqvi, as saying Mohsin was, "the most patriotic person I know."
Mohsin Naqvi's Funeral was held in the Al-Fatemah Islamic Center in Albany, N.Y., on Sept. 22, followed by a burial with full military honors at Evergreen Memorial Park.
According to the AP article, he leaves behind a wife, Raazia, who he married the day before he was deployed.