A difficult message about the loss of a beloved student

Dear faculty, staff, and students,

I am writing today with extremely difficult news about the death of a student, Jonathan San Miguel, who was to receive a doctoral degree in physics this spring and had served as a teaching assistant. Jonathan passed away on April 16 after he was struck by Caltrain at the Churchill Avenue crossing. We have reached out to Jonathan’s family, friends, and fellow scholars and research colleagues in the Physics Department. My heart goes out to all who knew and loved him.

Jonathan earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Maryland, where he developed an interest in quantum computing, a multidisciplinary field combining computer science, physics, and mathematics. The recipient of a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship, he began his studies at Stanford in fall 2017, and co-authored several papers during his time here.

Learning of a life lost so young is terribly difficult. Please know that if you need support, there are many here ready to help. Here’s a reminder about our campus resources:

• All university mental health and well-being resources for students are summarized on this Student Affairs website.

• Guidance for instructors and teaching assistants about supporting classes and labs is available on the Teaching Commons website.

• Resources for faculty and staff include the Faculty Staff Help Center, WorkLife Office, and BeWell.

• The JED Foundation provides guidance on knowing the signs of suicide in young adults.

We are sharing this message with everyone because people who are impacted are all over campus, we want to make these resources available to everyone, and we want to be honest and clear about what’s happening in our community. Here’s more information on how we remember the students we have lost.

Sincerely,

Susie Brubaker-Cole
Vice Provost for Student Affairs