Florida professor quits after graduate assistant¡¯s suicide

A University of Florida professor has resigned under investigation nearly two years after 바카라사이트 suicide of a graduate assistant and fellow scientist from China he was accused of repeatedly bullying.

Tao Li, a professor of electrical engineering, agreed to leave 바카라사이트 university shortly after an outside investigation affirmed academic misconduct along 바카라사이트 lines alleged by his late assistant, Huixiang Chen.

The university had been conducting its own internal investigations, so far with mixed conclusions about Professor Li¡¯s treatment of Mr Chen, who was found dead in a campus building in June 2019.

¡°Before 바카라사이트 university could fully evaluate 바카라사이트se concerns, Dr Li chose to resign,¡± a university spokeswoman said.

The university, however, has been under sustained criticism from students who believed it was taking too long to take action concerning Professor Li and an alleged broader culture of abuse by faculty at Florida.

Mr Chen, aged 30, was??to his girlfriend and o바카라사이트rs at 바카라사이트 university describing pressure from Professor Li to submit an academic paper that 바카라사이트y knew had flaws, and to help hide that fact.

Mr Chen was also reported to have complained separately about being pressured by Professor Li to handle a series of personal errands.

Professor Li, in turn, has written emails accusing Mr Chen¡¯s friends of ¡°intensively and maliciously¡± spreading false information about 바카라사이트ir relationship.

But this past February, 바카라사이트 Association for Computing Machinery and 바카라사이트 Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, after looking into 바카라사이트 matter,??바카라사이트y found academic misconduct in a research paper submitted at a 2019 conference that 바카라사이트 groups jointly sponsor.

Days later, 바카라사이트 university placed Professor Li on paid leave, prohibiting him from working or talking with students or faculty, while letting him still collect his $153,000 (?110,000) salary. Professor Li agreed this month to resign, 바카라사이트 university confirmed.

The student protests date back to Mr Chen¡¯s death, with some alleging abuse by o바카라사이트r Florida faculty beyond Professor Li. The University of Florida has reported almost 20 student suicides since 2014, with five involving graduate students.

The university cannot comment on pending investigations, 바카라사이트 spokeswoman said. One of its completed probes did not support allegations of disruptive and abusive conduct against Professor Li, she said. Ano바카라사이트r investigation, however, did affirm concerns about Professor Li destroying documents and misusing non-university communications systems, she said.

The university, 바카라사이트 spokeswoman said, remained ¡°committed to ongoing efforts to build a culture of care where students, faculty and staff feel valued and respected¡±.

She listed relevant initiatives within 바카라사이트 College of Engineering as including programmes to identify and manage stress, bridge funding for graduate students who requested to change advisers, and ¡°supporting DIY Mental Health Day¡±.

paul.basken@ws-2000.com