Delco College Professor, 'Brilliant Mathematician' Killed In Bicycle Crash

UPPER DARBY, PA — Family and friends are mourning a former Swarthmore College professor, described as a "brilliant mathematician," who was fatally struck by a vehicle while riding a bicycle last week.

Eduard "Teddy" Einstein, 38, of Philadelphia, died on Dec. 3. Einstein was a former math professor at Swarthmore College and is survived by his wife Ruth Fahey and children Charlie, 6, and Lorcan, 2.

The fatal crash happened in the area of Providence Road, Hilldale Road, and Maine Avenue in Upper Darby the afternoon of Dec. 3, according to Upper Darby Police. The striking driver, 18 years old, remained at the scene to cooperate with investigators, the Delaware County Daily Times reports.

Einstein was "passionate about bicycling and worked to make the Philadelphia area safer for cyclists," a GoFundMe page established to support his family reads. "An experienced cyclist, Teddy and his wife Ruth were Philly Bike Action members living in West Philly. Bikes were one of the main ways they moved their family around. Although they practiced safe biking habits, there will never be a helmet strong enough nor clothing bright enough to make-up for dangerous infrastructure."

The campaign is looking to raise money to support his surviving family as they fight in his memory and to prevent a similar tragedy from happening to anyone else. Funds donated will go directly to Fahey.

"Ruth, Charlie, and Lorcan are seeking your care and companionship during this difficult time," GoFundMe organizer Suzanne Thornton wrote. "In the new year, if you are able to deliver a meal to the family or willing to visit and mourn with the family, please go to this carecalendar link."

As of 11:15 a.m. Friday, more than $55,600 has been raised through the campaign.

Einstein joined Swarthmore’s Mathematics & Statistics Department in 2022 as a visiting assistant professor, where he taught courses in multivariable calculus, linear algebra, and abstract algebra.

Einstein was born in Santa Monica, California, and attended Harvard-Westlake School, graduating in 2006. He received a B.A. in mathematics from Pomona College in 2010, an M.A. in mathematics from the University of California at Santa Barbara in 2012, and a Ph.D. in mathematics from Cornell University in 2018.

Before coming to Swarthmore, he held postdoc positions at the University of Illinois and the University of Pittsburgh.

Swarthmore officials said Einstein recently finished the final and most challenging pieces for two separate research projects that had each been the culmination of years of effort and that he felt represented the best work of his career. Each manuscript is now being handled by various collaborators so they can be submitted for posthumous publication under his name.

Einstein will be remembered for "his dry sense of humor, and for sharing his home-brewed beer with his colleagues," Swarthmore's Provost and Dean of the Faculty Rich Wicentowski said.

The school is planning to host a celebration of his life on June 20, 2026.