Should plaintiffs be required to prove the amount of their damages with certainty and exactitude? Why or why not?

Jafar Vossoughi is an expert in applied mechanics and experimental biomechanics, which encompass the testing of mechanical theories and the creation and use of experimental devices for biomechanical research. In the 1990s, while teaching at the University of the District of Columbia (UDC), Vossoughi set up a laboratory to conduct research. When his employment contract expired, he remained on campus and continued his research. In 2000, without Vossoughi’s knowledge, UDC cleaned out the laboratory and threw away most of its contents. Vossoughi filed a suit in a District of Columbia court against UDC, seeking damages for the loss of his course materials, unpublished research data, unique scientific instruments, and other items. He personally testified as to the “replacement cost.” A jury found UDC liable for conversion (the wrongful taking of someone’s personal property) and awarded Vossoughi $1.65 million. UDC appealed.