Retired UC Berkeley professor killed in hit-and-run mourned

Sociologists across the country are mourning the loss of retired UC Berkeley Professor Michael Burawoy, who was killed in a hit-and-run crash in Oakland.

OAKLAND, Calif. - Sociologists across the country are mourning the loss of retired UC Berkeley Professor Michael Burawoy, who was killed in a hit-and-run crash in Oakland.

"It’s just been devastating," said Professor Kim Voss, saying the driver had "taken from us a major figure who changed many of our lives, inspired us to do better work, to change the world."

Burawoy, 77, was in a crosswalk at Grand Avenue and Park View Terrace near Lake Merritt in Oakland when he was hit by a vehicle at about 7 p.m. Monday. The driver never stopped.

"I don't understand how someone could do that and just leave the scene," said Vanessa Navarro-Rodriguez, a UC Berkeley student who stopped by a memorial Thursday near the crash scene. She had witnessed the aftermath.

"You would never imagine something like that to happen, and he clearly left a mark on a lot of people," she said. "I posted this on my social media, you know, begging people to be mindful when they're driving."

In a video of the sociology department's 2018 commencement ceremony, the British-born Burawoy greeted the audience with a robust, "How are you feeling?" several times and was met by cheers.

"To have taught you has been a pleasure and a privilege and, from time to time, a lot of fun, so thank you!" Burawoy said.

Burawoy retired from UC Berkeley in 2023 after teaching on campus for 47 years.

"I’ve been in contact with his former students over the last few days, and we’re all just gutted. I mean it doesn’t feel real," said Zachary Levenson, for whom Burawoy had served as PhD supervisor for a decade. Levenson is now a sociologist in Florida.

"He really put his all into mentorship and pedagogy and teaching, and Michael had advised over 80 PhDs over the course of his career," Levenson said.

Barry Eidlin, now a sociologist in Quebec, Canada, said, "Michael Burawoy is arguably one of the most consequential sociologists in the past 50 years. That’s not an exaggeration."

Eidlin added, "He trained generations of students who have in turn gone on to make incredible contributions that have shaped our discipline in countless ways."

Henry Lee is a KTVU crime reporter. E-mail Henry at Henry.Lee@fox.com and follow him on Twitter @henrykleeKTVU and www.facebook.com/henrykleefan

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