PTC Web Desk: An Indian-origin PhD student at the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB), has been found dead after going missing during a solo hiking trip in California's Big Pine Lakes area.

The deceased has been identified as Vikram Mubayi, a doctoral student in the university's Department of Chemical Engineering. His body was recovered from Inyo National Forest following a multi-agency search operation, according to the student publication Daily Nexus.

Authorities have not yet disclosed the cause of death, and officials said there is currently no indication of foul play. The investigation is ongoing.

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According to officials, Mubayi last spoke with his family at around 8.30 pm on August 1, when he shared his GPS location while hiking alone. When he failed to return as planned and stopped communicating with his family, they alerted authorities. Search teams from Inyo County Search and Rescue and the California Highway Patrol launched an operation and found his body on the evening of August 3.

Who was Vikram Mubayi?

Vikram Mubayi was born and raised in Hong Kong and was pursuing a PhD in Chemical Engineering at the University of California, Santa Barbara. His family described him on Reddit as a "fairly experienced hiker."

In a biography published on the website of student-led non-profit Illini 4000, Mubayi wrote that he had loved outdoor activities since childhood.

He credited his mother for introducing him to hiking and tennis at a young age and also described himself as an experienced cyclist with a passion for sports and nature.

Research focused on sustainable alternatives

Before joining UCSB, Mubayi earned a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) in 2022. During his undergraduate years, he worked as a research assistant at the Burke Laboratory and also served as a teaching assistant.

At UCSB, his research focused on bacteria and biological techniques to break down plant waste and plastics in an effort to develop environmentally friendly alternatives to petroleum-based products.

Authorities are continuing to investigate the circumstances surrounding his death.