Dr. Pemmaraju Venugopala Rao, who helped establish the Emory-Tibet Science Initiative (ETSI) and was emeritus associate professor in Emory's department of physics, passed away Dec. 25.   

Funeral services are set for Saturday, Dec. 29 at 2 p.m. at Wages and Sons Funeral Home, 1040 Main St., Stone Mountain, 770-469-9811.

Rao, or "PV," as he was known, joined Emory's physics faculty in 1967. He had obtained bachelor of science and master of science degrees at Andhra University in India, coming to the United States in 1959 to pursue his doctorate at the University of Oregon.

Rao, 80, retired in August 2012. During his career at Emory, he taught the full physics canon and developed freshman seminar courses. He was well known for his interdisciplinary collaborations with other Emory faculty, which created courses that blended science with religion, dance, and medicine.

He was an early member of the Emory Tibetan Science Initiative, and principal contributor to the science education syllabus and texts for the Tibetan monks.   

Rao’s research at Emory was in the general area of nuclear physics, and focused on the electronic structure of multi-electron atoms. He developed methods to measure the X-radiation signatures of the perturbed second shell, and strategies to analyze the results.   

He was an honorary editor with the Vanguri Foundation of America, established to promote Telugu language, literature and creative writing.  

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to either of the following organizations: Emory-Tibet Science Initiative and the Vanguri Foundation of America.