Editor’s Note: This story contains references to suicide that may be troubling to some readers.
A male engineering graduate student and researcher was found dead in an Engineering Quad laboratory building on Monday morning.
The student died in the Paul G. Allen building. The building and next-door annex were closed this morning in response to discovery of the body, multiple sources confirmed. Five police cars arrived at the scene at approximately 10:00 a.m., according to a laboratory colleague who saw authorities investigating the deceased’s belongings.
There are no outstanding safety concerns pertaining to Stanford at this time, according to a statement issued to the engineering community by School of Engineering Dean Jennifer Widom.
The student’s family had not been notified as of Monday evening, according to the Santa Clara County Medical Examiner’s office. The Daily is withholding the identity of the individual, confirmed by a close colleague, for this reason.
The Santa Clara Medical Examiner will conduct an autopsy to confirm the cause of death, said Stanford Public Safety spokesperson Bill Larson. The death is believed to be a suicide, according to multiple people who work in the laboratory and who are familiar with Monday’s events.
A graduate student familiar with the situation said that on Saturday, the deceased individual did not appear at a prior commitment he had made with a colleague.
It is unclear where in the laboratory the death occurred.
This story has been updated as new information and perspectives have come to light. This article has also been corrected to reflect that the death did not occur in the Stanford Nanofabrication Facility. The Daily regrets this error.
If you have thoughts of suicide or are concerned about the well-being of another, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 or Stanford’s Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) at (650) 498-2336.
Contact Courtney Douglas at ccdouglas ‘at’ stanford.edu, Julia Ingram at jmingram ‘at stanford.edu, Erin Woo at erinkwoo ‘at’ stanford.edu and Holden Foreman at hs4man21 ‘at’ stanford.edu.