Remembering Professor Michael Barrus: A Tribute to the Inspiring Mathematics Educator

June 2, 2025

We are deeply saddened by the passing of Michael D. Barrus Jr., an Associate Professor of Mathematics at URI. He left us on May 29 after a courageous battle with cancer. He was just 45 years old.

Michael joined URI’s faculty in 2014. Colleagues and students admired him for his warmth and kindness. “Mike brought a warm light to our department, and we will deeply miss him,” said Barbara Kaskosz, chair of the Mathematics Department.

He was always willing to lend a hand, showing true generosity to students and faculty alike. Michael inspired many with his passion for math. Students under his guidance often excelled in their studies and pursued further education.

Calvin Higgins, one of his undergraduate students, shared, “Dr. Barrus changed my life. He inspired me to major in mathematics and to teach. I never imagined he would leave us so soon.”

Morgan Prior, a Ph.D. student at Tufts, recalled, “Dr. Barrus really cared about how we learned. He went the extra mile, even encouraging us to attend conferences that shaped our careers.”

In his eleven years at URI, Michael mentored four Ph.D. students, with another expected to graduate soon. His research focused on graph theory and combinatorics, resulting in 23 published articles, which influenced many in the fields of mathematics and computer science.

Michael earned his M.S. from Brigham Young University in 2004 and his Ph.D. from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2009. His collaborations extended across various fields, tackling complex problems in graph theory.

He is survived by his wife, Michelle, and their three children, as well as his parents and five siblings. The loss of Michael is profound for the URI community and beyond.

Visitation will take place on Tuesday, June 3, at the Fagan-Quinn Funeral Home in North Kingstown from 5:30 to 7:30 PM. Funeral services are scheduled for Wednesday, June 4, at 10 AM at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Narragansett. For those wishing to pay their respects, more information can be found at Fagan-Quinn Funeral Home.

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