We are sad to report that Santa Monica College chemistry professor and UCLA alumnus, Dr. Sehat Nauli ‘98, passed away on January 14, 2025, from injuries sustained after being struck by a car.
Sehat received his bachelor’s degree in biochemistry from UCLA in 1998. A native of Medan, Indonesia, he was featured in a Daily Bruin article that year, where he spoke about his experiences as an international student. While an undergraduate student at UCLA, Sehat worked in Professor James Bowie’s lab exploring sequence tolerance in membrane proteins and was an author on two papers from that work.
“Sehat was the most productive, hard-working undergraduate student I ever had in the lab,” said Bowie. “He was so devoted to his research work that I became worried and actually urged him to get out of the lab and focus some of his energy on his classes.”
Sehat earned his Ph.D. in Structural Biology and Biochemistry from the University of Washington School of Medicine in the laboratory of Nobel Prize winner David Baker where he showed how protein folding pathways could be designed, publishing another five papers. After conducting postdoctoral research at the University of California, San Francisco, he returned to UCLA to continue his postdoctoral work with Bowie on protein crystal design. In 2007, Sehat joined the full-time faculty at Santa Monica College, where he served as department chair from 2019 to 2023. In 2016, he returned to UCLA to speak to the department’s Careers in Chemistry & Biochemistry class.
The Physical Sciences Department at Santa Monica College in collaboration with the Office of Academic Affairs will celebrate the life of Dr. Sehat Nauli, former Physical Sciences professor & department chair, who left us too soon. Please join us for a time of sharing joyful memories of Sehat.
This is an open-format celebration; you are welcome to drop by anytime between 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. Formal remarks begin at 11:45 a.m.
Light refreshments and Sehat’s favorite coffee will be served.
When: 11 a.m. – 2 p.m., Wednesday, Feb. 12, 2025
Where: East Wing Music Hall (PAC 110), SMC Performing Arts Center (1310 11th St, Santa Monica, CA 90401). Parking is free in the campus lot.
RSVPs required: Click here to let us know you are attending.
Deadline to RSVP: Noon, Friday, Feb. 7.
From the Santa Monica College by from Kathryn E. Jeffery, Ph.D., Superintendent/President:
January 22, 2025
Dear SMC Colleagues:
I learned of the tragic and untimely passing of our colleague Sehat Nauli, Chemistry professor and former department chair, a few days after the college resumed on-ground classes, services, and business operations following the Palisades Fire.Sehat died on Tuesday, January 14, following injuries sustained after being struck by a car. A proud Santa Monica College alum, Sehat had been teaching at the college for over 17 years, after being hired as a full-time faculty member in 2008.
Sehat Nauli was born in Medan, Indonesia. He earned his B.S. in Biochemistry at UCLA and his Ph.D. in Structural Biology and Biochemistry from the University of Washington School of Medicine, where his dissertation was entitled Folding Kinetics and Redesign of Pepto streptococcal proteins L and G. After completing postdoctoral research at UC San Francisco on the design and synthesis of potential inhibitors of a protein kinase, and at UCLA on designing a protein crystallization module based on the TEL-SAM domain, Dr. Nauli joined the ranks of full-time faculty at SMC.
In addition to teaching chemistry courses at SMC, Sehat served as department chair from 2019-2023, advocating for the needs of faculty and students. One of Sehat’s greatest gifts was his ability to bring people together to find common ground. He was and will be remembered as a compassionate advocate for teaching and learning.
In a 2016 interview for SMC In Focus titled Focus on Faculty Innovation: The Flipped Classroom, Sehat spoke about his love for teaching and Santa Monica College. “I became a teacher because I’ve been a huge believer in the power of good teaching and good teachers. I chose to teach here at Santa Monica College because I was an international student here over 20 years ago, and I still remember fondly the instructors I had here. I recall distinctly a physics demonstration done by SMC professor Dick Masada to explain friction between two surfaces. He helped us visualize in a powerful way how the molecules on the surface of a table rub against the molecules of an object moving on top of the table, resulting in a decreased velocity of the object. That kind of teaching inspired me to teach here. I think that the combination of rigor and smaller class sizes make SMC more like a liberal arts college than your usual community college.”
Sehat is survived by his wife, Melissa Chan-Nauli, and daughter Chloe (14), who remember Sehat “as a devoted father and husband whose love and dedication to his family were boundless. He was the heart of our home, always ensuring that everyone felt cared for, cherished, and supported. His words of wisdom, warm smile, and comforting presence were a constant source of strength. As a father, Sehat poured his heart into creating unforgettable memories with our daughter, Chloe. Whether it was through his firm but gentle guidance or the lessons he imparted, he left an indelible mark on Chloe’s life. As a husband, he was a steadfast partner, always prioritizing love and unity in every moment shared. Sehat taught us the value of kindness, patience, and unwavering devotion. His legacy lives on in the countless ways he touched our lives and in the love that continues to connect us all. Though his physical presence is no longer with us, his spirit will forever remain in our hearts, guiding us just as he always did. We will hold tightly to the beautiful memories he left us with, honoring the incredible person he was. Sehat will be deeply missed but never forgotten.”
A GoFundMe has been established to support the family. If you would like to contribute, please visit https://gofund.me/a89c355a
A celebration of Sehat’s life is planned for February 12 at the Performing Arts Campus (PAC), 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., with additional details to be announced.
Though cut short, Sehat’s life was filled with purpose and meaning. I hope memories of his significant contributions will provide comfort and inspiration to all those in sorrow over Sehat’s untimely passing. Immediately below this memo, you will find tributes to Sehat sent in by his students and colleagues. My deepest condolences go out to his family, friends and colleagues.
Colleagues and former students of Sehat’s have shared the following:
Jennifer Hsieh, Department Chair, Physical Sciences shared,
“Sehat and I go way back. I met Sehat during my second lab rotation in graduate school at UCLA. He was a postdoctoral fellow in the lab, and he mentored me that quarter. I still remember dropping one of his experiments, being terrified to tell him, and relieved when he told me with his typical, matter of fact way, that it was okay, not a big deal. After that quarter, our paths didn’t cross often until I joined SMC, but I knew he was always someone I could count on. Throughout my time at SMC, Sehat was always kind and incredibly generous. Early in my career, he allowed me to sit in on his lectures so that I could improve my lecture notes on quantum mechanics. Later, when he decided to step down as Department Chair and I was elected as incoming Chair, he spent countless hours mentoring me on all aspects of the role and the department. I am incredibly appreciative of our friendship and the invaluable mentorship that Sehat gave me over nearly twenty years. Sehat gave so much to the department and the College. He served on the Academic Senate, the Faculty Association, and as club advisor to the Pre-Health Association, to name a few. He served as Department Chair of Physical Sciences through one of the most difficult times in memory, the COVID-19 pandemic. I maintain that Sehat was exactly the leader our department needed during the pandemic because no matter the task, he always figured out how to complete it. Sehat was loved by his students and colleagues across disciplines and departments. The outpouring of support for that I have observed since learning of Sehat’s untimely passing has been tremendous. While Sehat left us too soon, his contributions to the SMC community are long lasting.”
Former students wrote,
“He was one of my favorite people at SMC.”
“I thought he was a great teacher and very kind and supportive. Wishing his family the best in these difficult times.”
“He changed my life.”
“I loved Prof. Nauli. Truly one of my favorite professors during college. One of the best faculty members at SMC and I hope they honor him.”
“I’m so sorry as well for the SMC community. He was a great professor and friend.”
“He was great. He really cared and he showed up that way every day.”
“He was a great person that truly cared about the people around him.”
Jeff Bradbury, the co-chair of the chemistry department at Cerritos College with Amy Moskun, remembered that,
“Sehat Nauli worked for us for many years. He was an excellent instructor. He was one of the best adjunct professors we have ever had. We could depend on him for any assignment. We have very structured lecture outlines here. We expect every instructor to follow our outlines and lab reports. Sehat re-wrote all of the lecture outlines and all of the lab reports and improved them. He was amazing. He was a wonderful servant to his colleagues and students. He was a good friend. We mourn.”
Many thanks to Prof. Jennifer Hsieh for providing the information and photos for this article.
Penny Jennings, UCLA Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, penjen@g.ucla.edu.
