Graduate student dies

By Cindy Dinh     1/8/09 6:00pm

Graduate student Han Li, 31, died on Tuesday night after falling unconscious after using a stationary bike at the Recreation Center. Li came to Rice in 2006 from China to work on his Ph.D in Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science. Shortly after 5 p.m. Li was getting off of a stationary bicycle in the weight room when witnesses saw him collapse, Rice Recreation Center Associate Director Evan Stein said. Officials in the Recreation Center alerted Rice Emergency Medical Services, which came to the scene and immediately began administering CPR. The Houston Fire Department later arrived and transported Li by ambulance to Methodist Hospital. His cause of death is unknown. There were no known malfunctions with the gym equipment, Stein said.

Graduate Student Association President Michael Contreras encouraged graduate students to support each other after Li's death.

"The sudden passing of Han Li has not only affected graduate students, but the greater Rice community," Contreras said in a statement. "Han will be remembered as a diligent student in the Mechanical Engineering department who made a difference in the lives of all those that knew him. Our hearts go out to his wife and family in these difficult times. When a startling event such as this one occurs it is important that we look to each other in the Rice community to provide support and comfort to move forward."

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Li is survived by his wife, who is a graduate student at Vanderbilt University, and family members in China.

Dean of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies Paula Sanders recommends that those having difficulty coping with this loss consult with a counselor at the Rice Counseling Center, 713-348-4867.

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