The family of an ASU graduate killed in a mining accident recently established a scholarship for future geology students.
Ravi DeFilippo, a 2009 geological sciences graudate, was killed Aug. 1 when he was working in a trench that collapsed at a mining site in Peru.
DeFilippo, who graduated cum laude, was working for a geological engineering firm at the time of the accident.
“Not only was he a good student, but he really was an amazing guy,” said Thomas Sharp, professor at the School of Earth and Space Exploration. “He touched so many people in his life.”
Sharp was DeFilippo’s instructor in two ASU courses, mineralogy and field geology.
To celebrate DeFilippo’s life and love for geology, his family is honoring him with a scholarship in his name at ASU.
The Ravi DeFilippo Geology Field Camp Scholarship Endowment will be first available to an undergraduate student participating in the 2011 summer field camp, a capstone course for geology students.
The School of Earth and Space Exploration will choose the recipient of the annual scholarship of approximately $1,000, which is funded primarily by memorial donations.
The goal of the scholarship is to offset the cost of attending the summer field camp. The camp is a capstone course, which covers mapping strategies, structural analysis, fault slip analysis, field notes, drafting and many more topics.
“Field camp is a turning point in an upper-division geology student’s career,” said Mary DeFilippo, Ravi’s mother. “The immersion is very important. Ravi loved that immersion.”
Along with majoring in geological sciences, DeFilippo was the president of ASU’s men’s rugby team, a teacher’s assistant for three different classes, a rock climber, a world traveler and a lifeguard.
Friends and family described him as a team player, a natural leader and a great friend.
Six days after DeFilippo’s death, a memorial was held at Oro Valley Church of the Nazarene in Tucson. Those at the funeral said the service drew hundreds of DeFilippo’s friends from around the world.
“He was a very special young man with a lot to look forward to in life,” said Jill Demichele, director of Scholarship Development at the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Demichele has been in contact with the DeFilippo family and is helping them set up the scholarship.
One situation that exhibited DeFilippo’s personality was in 2008 at the spring field geology camp, a course Sharp described as “very physically and mentally challenging.”
Before the camp, Ravi tore his ACL and went through reconstructive knee surgery, Mary DeFilippo said. Throughout camp, he walked around on crutches and was likely in significant pain.
Despite the pain, DeFilippo didn’t complain at any time while nearly every other student did, said Sharp, who was an instructor at the camp. Not only did he stay positive throughout camp, he thrived, becoming a leader for the other students.
After field camp, Mary DeFilippo said that when students would complain about minor issues, other students would tell them to “Ravi-up,” in reference to Ravi’s actions at field camp.
Even students who had never met DeFilippo would use this mantra later in the year.
Reach the reporter at Connor.Radnovich@asu.edu
