When Zach Wood walked across the Parade Ground on Saturday morning, his friend Julie Faulkner said “about every fourth person [they] passed called out his name and ran over to hug him.” The kinesiology graduate student was a popular teaching assistant at LSU, known for his bear hugs, two-handed handshakes and trademark inspirational Post-it notes.
That same night, Wood’s life was tragically cut short on Lee Drive after he was struck by a car while riding his bike. As family and friends mourn his loss, the LSU community joins them in their solitude.
Wood completed his master’s degree in kinesiology at LSU before moving into the doctoral program. He worked at the UREC from 2011 until 2014, forming a tight bulk of friendships in his time there.
Kasie Nelson worked a couple of summers with Wood while he was the UREC’s coordinator of club sports and summer camp programs. Since working the Tiger’s Den camp together, Nelson said they maintained a close friendship.
Fascinated by his height, the children gave Wood high-fives and begged him to dunk basketballs for them, Nelson said.
“Even though he was so tall, he would get down on their level to make them feel more like an equal,” she said. “That’s what he taught to us, too — bend down and get eye-to-eye level with [the kids] to make them feel the same.”
Sociology senior Haley Paulish, who also worked Tiger’s Den with Wood, said he was an “impact player,” constantly supporting his coworkers.
“Zach constantly embodied this positive energy that was absolutely kinetic,” Paulish said in an email. “His mere presence had a tendency to lighten even the darkest of moods.”
Wood was also known for his random acts of kindness, Nelson said, including sticking Post-it note “pick-me-ups” in her backpack when she was feeling down.
Faulkner said Wood’s messages to her usually included an upbeat “Whoop-whoop!”
Faulkner and Wood also became friends after working at the UREC together. Though he left his job to pursue his Ph.D. full-time, Faulkner said Wood still came to the UREC regularly to work out and play basketball.
“I think he had to build an extra hour into his workouts just so he could make the rounds and chat with everyone,” she said in an email.
Famous for his introductions, Wood gave two-handed handshakes and looked everyone in the eye, Faulkner said. He also gave hugs to anyone who looked like they needed one.
Wood’s dedication to the UREC impressed not only his campers but also his supervisor, Matthew Boyer.
Boyer said in an email that Wood was “extremely organized and methodical in his work ethic,” always arriving to work at 6 a.m. to complete his tasks early so he could make time for his students in the afternoon. He said Wood connected to out-of-state students through a mutual love of basketball or soccer, making them feel at home in a different state.
Aside from his work at the UREC, Wood simultaneously pursued his graduate studies and instructed classes for his department.
Kinesiology senior Leslie Spires said Wood was her tennis instructor for one of her required courses. She said he formed a strong camaraderie with his students, and their class became close.
“Mondays are always terrible for everyone. … He actually made us want to go to class,” Spires said. “Anywhere he was, we were having fun.”
Fellow graduate student Derek Miketinas was working with Wood on a research project, teaching a health and wellness program to local high school students. The project, which aimed to improve high school students’ workforce readiness through nutrition education, fiscal education and workforce development, involved Wood teaching the kinesiology portion.
“To many of his students, he was a mentor,” Miketinas said. “But he was a friend to everyone.”
A memorial service will be held Friday in the Student Union’s Royal Cotillion Ballroom at 5 p.m. A candlelight ceremony at the Memorial Tower will follow.

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