Sean O'Flaherty Fahey, a 33 year-old SF State student was pronounced dead at UCSF Medical Center Jan. 22, after being found unconscious on Ocean Beach following a surfing accident.

Fahey, who learned to surf in Costa Rica, earned three degrees in mechanical engineering from the University of Vermont in his hometown of Burlington, as well as a PhD from Virginia Tech. He was currently working on a master's degree in business at SF State.

Joshua Mindel, a business professor, also attended Virginia Tech, and found he had much in common with his student. Mindel said he remembers how Fahey stood out from the crowd.

"He was unusual in such a positive way," he said. "Having all that additional education, his approach to things was different."

Though Fahey had just started at SF State last semester, he already had surrounded himself with a close circle of friends within the College of Business.

"We will be worse off without him," said Mindel. "He's one of these people who had a tremendous impact on the people around him."