Xiaoyang Zhao, a mechanical and aerospace engineering doctoral student specializing in fire safety, died unexpectedly Wednesday evening. He was 26.
An international student from China, Zhao enrolled at Case Western Reserve in 2011. He had earned his undergraduate degree that same year from the University of Science and Technology of China, a prestigious institution in Hefei, the capital of Anhui Province in the eastern part of the country.
Zhao studied with James T’ien, the Leonard Case Jr. Professor of Engineering and a renowned expert on combustion and fire research. Zhao proved to be an outstanding student, earning top grades and even winning a departmental award this spring for one of his papers. Over the past year he attended scientific conferences involving NASA, the aerospace industry and international commercial insurer FM Global. Zhao’s work focused on modeling combustion and flame spread in the context of increasing fire safety in spacecraft; T’ien considered him to be among his very best students. Had his progress continued, Zhao was on track to earn his PhD next year.
Zhao is survived by his parents, Zongyi Zhao and Lihua Zhao; his sister, Xiaolei Zhao; and brother-in-law, Haizhong Zhou, all of whom live in China. Members of his family working to be able to come to the United States, and the Center for International Affairs has attempted to provide assistance through outreach to the Consulate General of the People’s Republic of China.
Meanwhile, University Counseling Services (UCS) has reached out to the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering to provide support to any students, staff or faculty who would like to talk. UCS offers walk-in services each weekday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in its offices in suite 220 of the Sears Building. If individuals feel a need to speak after hours or on weekends, they should dial 216.368.5872 to reach the counselor on call.
No funeral or memorial services have been scheduled as of yet; the daily will post any updates that become available.