A tragic road incident in Bastrop County claimed the life of Ryan Wallace, a University of Texas at Austin doctoral candidate, who was due to present his dissertation in a mere few weeks. Wallace was en route to pick up his sister's children from school Friday when his vehicle collided with a school bus, leading to fatal outcomes for both himself and Ulises Rodriguez Montoya, a 5-year-old who was also killed in the accident, according to Live 5 News.

Wallace, 33, had been immersed in the intersection of science and media, working towards a doctorate within UT Austin's School of Journalism and Media his research aimed at bridging the gap between scientific dialogues and public comprehension; a passionate undertaking abruptly cut short, said a colleague Kami Vinton, as per KXAN, expressed her despair at the loss of someone who "wanted to be the change he wanted to see."

The Wallace family has urged the public to recall Ryan as more than a casualty, but instead as the embodiment of brilliance and warmth, a sentiment echoed by UT Journalism Professor Kathleen McElroy, who labeled Wallace as "incredibly smart and insightful," in a statement obtained by KXAN; she has also initiated a GoFundMe campaign to support the Wallace family during this trying time.

Despite the tragedy, Wallace's department at UT Austin plans to assemble as originally scheduled on April 8, but now in memorandum rather in examination to honor the late scholar's dedication and to signify, in at least some symbolic form of academic passage, that on that day Ryan Wallace's work and spirit ascend as Dr. Wallace's, as put forth by Vinton who told KXAN, "In my mind, I’m going to think of him as Dr. Wallace because I think he earned it."