Ryan Wallace, a doctoral candidate in the School of Journalism and Media, died in a fatal car accident on March 22. 

Wallace was driving in Bastrop County when a concrete truck ran into a nearby school bus. When the two collided, Wallace, who was driving behind the bus, then hit the bus. The Texas Department of Public Safety confirmed his identity three days later.

Wallace was just weeks from defending his dissertation on science communication on April 8. He worked with journalism professor Kathleen McElroy to develop a science communication course for undergraduates called “Science and the News.” 

“He was really funny and witty, and just a really smart person,” McElroy said. “In a doctoral program like ours, you’re surrounded by pretty insightful people, and he fit right in. Just a very outgoing, warm person.”

McElroy described Wallace as a generous, optimistic J-Horn, a name the journalism graduate students call themselves.

“He really liked working with students, especially young students,” McElroy said. “He really cared about young people, and he cared about people understanding science and journalism.” 

Journalism professor Iris Chyi, Wallace’s dissertation supervisor, described him as “sunshine.” She recruited him into his doctorate program and worked with him during the past year to develop his dissertation, which she said he was incredibly passionate about.

“I remember vividly from day one, he came with that same enthusiasm that continued till this day,” Chyi said. “Having watched how he grew over the years was really a rewarding experience.”

Kami Vinton, a fellow doctoral student and friend of Wallace, said the pair bonded over their shared love of health and science communication after he joined the doctorate program.

“As a friend and educator, he had a knack for putting others around him at ease. … He also inspired hope in others and made them feel like they could do anything,” Vinton said in an email. “His loss is unfathomable to me. I’m struggling to make sense of it — and I can only imagine how this must feel for his beautiful family that he adored. Ryan was a force for positive change.”

Wallace loved his family and his Pomeranians and always spoke fondly of them, Vinton said. He was determined to make the world a better place.

“I could always rely on him for reassurance when the going got tough and for a positive perspective to help me navigate my own difficulties,” Vinton wrote. “He had a superpower that made me feel seen and valued every time we connected. He was wise beyond his years — an old soul with a youthful exuberance for life and a passion for science communication.”