Harvard Senior Arda Cataltepe ’23 Dies of Prolonged Illness

Kirkland House senior Arda Cataltepe ’23 died on Friday after a prolonged illness, according to announcements sent by the College Saturday.

Dean of Harvard College Rakesh Khurana announced Cataltepe’s death in an email to College students and staff Saturday afternoon after speaking with the student’s family.

“Arda was a remarkable person,” Khurana wrote. “His family told me that he was emailing his teachers even hours before his passing. Arda cared about environmental sustainability and was passionate about the NBA. His brief life reminds us of how precious life is and the importance of gratefulness for each other.”

An Applied Math and Economics concentrator, Cataltepe served as president of Harvard Consulting on Business and the Environment, a strategy consulting club. He was a 2019 graduate of Weston High School in Weston, Massachusetts.

Kirkland House Faculty Deans David J. Deming and Janine Santimauro and Resident Dean Jack Huguley called Cataltepe a “gentle soul” in an announcement to Kirkland residents sent prior to Khurana’s email.

“We are heartbroken. Arda was a member of our Kirkland community, and his passing is a loss for all of us,” they wrote. “In difficult times, a community comes together to grieve and to share strength.”

Khurana and the Kirkland deans encouraged students to attend a gathering in the Senior Common Room at 7 p.m. on Sunday for support in light of the announcement.

“Arda’s passing leaves a hole in our hearts and community,” Khurana wrote. “It is important to remember that loss impacts each of us differently, and there is no right way to mourn.”

If you or someone you know needs help at Harvard, contact Counseling and Mental Health Services at (617) 495-2042 or the Harvard University Police Department at (617) 495-1212. Several peer counseling groups offer confidential peer conversations. Learn more here.

You can contact a University Chaplain to speak one-on-one at chaplains@harvard.edu or here.

You can also call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988 or text the Crisis Text Line at 741741.

—Staff writer Vivi E. Lu can be reached at vivi.lu@thecrimson.com. Follow her on Twitter @vivielu_.

—Staff writer Leah J. Teichholtz can be reached at leah.teichholtz@thecrimson.com. Follow her on Twitter @LeahTeichholtz.