The shooting at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University on Monday has caused ripples across the country and RPI, with its close ties to the Virginia university, is no exception. At the time of the shooting, at least nine people affiliated with Rensselaer, including graduate students and professors, were on or near the Virginia Tech campus.
None of the individuals from RPI were injured and all returned home safely Tuesday morning. Professor Paul Chow was part of the group that was in Blacksburg, Virginia, for the Annual Power Electronics Conference. RPI is one of five members of the Center for Power Electronic Systems, a National Science Foundation Engineering Research Center. The conference was taking place in the Skelton Conference Center, which lies on the edge of the campus and away from the scenes of Monday’s tragedy.
According to Chow, news of the incident on campus reached them shortly after the program began at 8 am. After being told that the building was probably safe, the program went on, said Chow. About thirty minutes later, the conference was notified that there may be a gunman loose. “We were told to stay away from the windows,” said Chow. The building was still considered secure, however, and the presentations continued. By 11 am, news of the second shooting had reached the conference, and the attendees were evacuated to another room. Shortly after a lunch break, and with the consent of the NSF visitor in attendance, it was decided that the conference should be suspended indefinitely.
“Initially we thought it was a minor incident,” Chow recalled. “I didn’t expect such a monumental incident.” Chow said he never felt in danger during the incident. “The conference was on the periphery of campus,” he said. “All the entrances were locked and we felt fairly safe.” Chow stated that the Institute’s ties with Virginia Tech run deep, saying, “We’ve been collaborating with Virginia Tech students for over nine years. It’s really sad what happened. We feel their sorrows.”
On campus, President Shirley Ann Jackson sent an e-mail to the campus regarding the incident at Virginia Tech. In that letter, Jackson extended her sympathies to those affected by the “heartrending events.” “Our hearts go out to the families and friends of the victims who lost their lives or were injured in this horrifying tragedy,” she said. Later, Jackson sent an invitation to the campus community inviting students, faculty, and staff to attend a gathering Friday, April 20, in the McNeil Room of the Student Union.
“We will take time then to remember those who died in Virginia, to share our thoughts on the impact of this tragedy, and to discuss ways we can achieve as safe an environment as possible in which we can live, work, and learn in an atmosphere of security and mutual support,” Jackson said.
At a press briefing, Vice President for Administration Claude Rounds and Director of Public Safety Jerry Matthews also extended their condolences. “It’s sad to see … very sobering,” said Matthews.
On March 29, a suspicious death on the RPI campus led the administration to initiate a lockdown procedure while few details were yet known. That death was later determined to be the result of a suicide. With that incident still fresh in the minds of many, Rounds and Matthews both reiterated that safety is paramount in these types of situations. “This is an important issue,” Rounds said. “If anything, the incident at Virginia Tech has reaffirmed the importance of being cautious. Nothing that occurred has changed that philosophy. I have no doubt that universities and colleges nationwide will take pause.”
Rounds also stressed the importance of the Institute’s good relations with the Troy Police Department. “We were able to use the Troy Police as a resource to help us. We hit the nail on the head,” said Matthews. “It’s a tragedy that occurred in both cases. We have to look at both with a critical eye.”
Rounds further stated that the administration has been receiving strong support for their handling of the suicide three weeks ago. “We’ve heard from faculty, staff, students, and parents thanking RPI for using caution on the 29th,” he said.
Julie Ruhrmann, a graduate student in management, is an international student at RPI from Germany. “To be honest, it kind of scared me. I felt really weird,” she said. Ruhrmann was in a class right next to the CII when the campus was locked down. “Maybe RPI is well-prepared,” she said, “but you can’t necessarily prepare for this.” Ruhrmann had trouble expressing her shock at the shooting only saying, “There are no words for this.”
