On September 24, more than a hundred people gathered in the MIT Chapel to honor Assistant Professor Thomas Rose, a 37‑year‑old archaeometallurgist who died after a bicycle accident in Cambridge. Faculty, students, staff from the Department of Materials Science and Engineering (DMSE) and the Center for Materials Research in Archaeology and Ethnology (CMRAE), along with his family and friends, attended the memorial and reflected on his brief but brilliant tenure at MIT.\ \ Chaplain Thea Keith‑Lucas opened the service, noting the unique gifts Rose brought to the world and the possibilities cut short by his untimely death. Department head Polina Anikeeva then gave a concise overview of archaeometallurgy—the study of how ancient societies produced and used metals—and its evolution at MIT. Since the establishment of CMRAE in the 1970s, the United States has struggled to find scholars with the rare combination of geoscience, metallurgy, and archaeology, prompting Anikeeva to describe the search for such a candidate as looking for a "unicorn."\ \ When Rose’s résumé arrived in 2025, his interdisciplinary training impressed the DMSE faculty. In a Zoom interview he spoke fluently about his work and vision without relying on slides, leaving senior lecturer Mike Tarkanian convinced that "that's our guy." Anikeeva praised his "almost childlike curiosity and enormous positivity," noting he saw obstacles only as opportunities.\ \ To continue Rose’s legacy, DMSE will launch the Thomas Rose Fellowship for Excellence in Archaeometallurgy, supporting outstanding PhD and post‑doctoral scholars.\ \ Colleagues also highlighted Rose’s generosity and empathy. Tarkanian recalled that during his undergraduate years in Germany Rose ran tutorials for first‑year archaeological science students struggling with chemistry and math, ending his invitation emails with a self‑deprecating note: "I guess I’ll be more nervous than you folks tomorrow." This humility made others feel at ease while he shared his expertise freely.\ \ DMSE Assistant Professor Tania Lopez‑Silva remembered a lunch meeting where Rose said he would eat anything except mushrooms and eggplant, yet he still agreed to go to a restaurant known for those dishes, showing his openness and patience. Another faculty member, Assistant Professor Thomas J. Wallin, shared a story about a narrow apartment Rose found overlooking the Charles River; Rose explained he could shoot an arrow from his balcony through the hallway to his target, turning a limitation into a quirky advantage.\ \ MIT Archery Club members Katya Tiukhtikova and Kiarra Ning praised Rose for focusing on the good in people and giving everyone a chance to shine, noting his contagious excitement during archery practice that "brightened the days of everyone lucky enough to share the range with him."\ \ Tarkanian concluded by reflecting on the importance of generosity, humility, and community‑building alongside brilliance. If Rose’s legacy at MIT is that we become a little more generous with our time, a little more humble about our achievements, and a little more deliberate in fostering environments where others can thrive, then that would be a fitting tribute.\ \ Review