Grad student's death ruled a suicide

A former graduate student who was found dead by her landlord in her Leigh Ave. home on Feb. 23, died by suicide, Mercer County officials confirmed this week.

The determination was made by the medical examiner, prosecutor's office spokeswoman Casey DeBlasio said.

"There was nothing in our investigation that we found suspicious," said Detective Sergeant Scott Porreca, who is in charge of the case regarding the death of Xiaoyan Ma GS '06. "The preliminary opinion of the medical examiner was it appeared to be death by suicide."

Ma was last heard from on Tuesday, Feb. 20 at 8:45 a.m., when she called in sick to Thorlabs in Newton, N.J., where she worked, Porreca said. Her landlord found her deceased Friday at 10:45 p.m.

Ma, a citizen of the People's Republic of China, graduated from the University of Science and Technology in Beijing before coming to the United States. She earned her masters degree in astrophysics from Princeton in September 2006, specializing in the program in plasma physics.

Hantao Ji, a graduate student adviser in the program for plasma physics, said Ma gave no indication of intending to take her own life. "Every time she came [to visit my office], she looked happy to me," Ji said. He was Ma's first-year project adviser from 2004 to 2005 and last saw Ma after her graduation in September.

"She said she was happy she was able to graduate, to find a job," Ji added. "It's a puzzle — we don't understand why she chose that way."

As a researcher, Ji said Ma's dedication to accuracy and precision gave her "the foundation to be a good scientist."

He added that, despite some preliminary struggles, Ma seemed to have dealt well with the stresses and difficulties of leaving China to come to school in the United States. "In the beginning, she was struggling a little bit," he said. "Every international student would go through the same thing ... she did well."

Another friend of Ma's, who was granted anonymity because he did not want to upset her family by speaking about her publicly, said that Ma's death is a tragedy that highlights issues the international community on campus must address.

"Obviously she had some difficulties in adapting to the culture, customs, study pressure, competition and the language here," he said in an email, noting that her English was excellent. "This is a lesson for all of us. We must do something to help people, especially young people ... to get over those obstacles."

He described Ma as a dedicated researcher and friend. "As a student, she was brilliant. smart and hardworking," he said. "She passed the prelim [exam] at her first trial, which is not easy for a graduate student in our program. As a friend, she was quiet, considerate and friendly."

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Laura Berzak GS, a friend of Ma's and fellow graduate student in the plasma physics program, echoed his remarks. Ma was a "really lovely person, always ready with a smile and a kind word," Berzak said. "She was ... always a pleasure to work with," she said.

A memorial service for Ma was held on March 7 in Murray-Dodge Hall. Her father traveled from China to attend the service, during which he spoke about his daughter through a translator.

The University offers student support services through clinicians from Counseling and Psychological Services and pastoral counsel through the Office of Religious Life.