Nambury S. Raju Illinois Institute of Technology, USA

Dr. Raju, 68, of Burr Ridge, a psychometrician and professor at the Illinois Institute of Technology, died of a heart attack during a stress test Thursday, Oct. 27, in Rush University Medical Center. Nambury S. Raju was a brilliant man, family and friends said. With a slew of degrees, his name attached to hundreds of publications and a handful of honorary titles, Dr. Raju didn't stray far from the office or the halls of academia. He taught, he learned and he taught some more, his family said. He liked it that way. "He was a lifelong learner," said his wife, Marijke. "He was known for his work. That's what he wanted." Dr. Raju's field of study--psychometric research and test development--is complex, his family said. But to Dr. Raju, psychometrics--a combination of psychology, statistics and mathematics--was his specialty and trademark.