Zijie Yan – On August 28, 2023, a shooting occurred at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC-Chapel Hill), one of the oldest and most prestigious public universities in the United States. The shooting took place around 1:02 p.m. at the Caudill Laboratories, a science building that houses the departments of chemistry and applied physical sciences. The shooter, identified as Tailei Qi, a graduate student from Wuhan, China, killed a faculty member and then fled the scene.
A Tragic Incident
The campus was put on lockdown for about three hours until the police apprehended the suspect near a nearby shopping center. No other injuries were reported.
The victim of the shooting was Zijie Yan, an associate professor of applied physical sciences and a leader of the Yan Research Group at UNC-Chapel Hill. He was 39 years old and had been working at the university since 2019. He was also listed as an adviser to Qi since January 2022, according to Qi’s LinkedIn profile.
Tailei Qi, who had a bachelor’s degree in physics from Wuhan University and a master’s degree in material science and engineering from Louisiana State University, was a second-year PhD student in Yan’s research group. The motive for the shooting remains unclear, but authorities are investigating whether there was any personal or professional conflict between the two.
| Name | Zijie Yan |
|---|---|
| Date of birth | Unknown |
| Place of birth | China |
| Date of death | August 28, 2023 |
| Place of death | Chapel Hill, North Carolina |
| Cause of death | Gunshot wound |
| Education | Nanjing University (BSc), Washington University in St. Louis (MSc and PhD) |
| Affiliation | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill |
| Position | Associate professor of applied physical sciences |
| Research interests | Nanophotonics, optical tweezers, holography, microfluidics, and electronic and photonic nanomaterials |
| Publications | More than 100 peer-reviewed papers |
| Awards and honors | NSF CAREER Award, Missouri S&T Faculty Excellence Award, UNC-Chapel Hill Jefferson-Pilot Fellowship in Academic Medicine |
| Family | Wife Xiaoyu Liu and two children |
A Brilliant Scholar
Zijie Yan was born in China and received his bachelor’s degree in physics from Nanjing University in 2006. He then moved to the United States and earned his master’s degree and Ph.D. in physics from Washington University in St. Louis in 2008 and 2012, respectively. He did his postdoctoral research at the University of Chicago from 2012 to 2016, where he worked with Professor Norbert F. Scherer on optical trapping and manipulation of nanomaterials.
He then joined the faculty of Missouri University of Science and Technology as an assistant professor of mechanical engineering in 2016. He was promoted to associate professor with tenure in 2019 and moved to UNC-Chapel Hill later that year.
Zijie Yan was an expert in nanophotonics, optical tweezers, holography, microfluidics, and electronic and photonic nanomaterials. His research focused on developing novel methods to synthesize, manipulate, assemble, and characterize nanoscale objects using light fields.
He also applied his techniques to study various phenomena such as optical binding, optical torque, self-assembly, plasmonics, and biosensing. He published more than 100 peer-reviewed papers in prestigious journals such as Nature Communications, Nano Letters, ACS Nano, Physical Review Letters, and Chemical Communications. He also received several awards and honors for his research excellence, such as the NSF CAREER Award in 2018, the Missouri S&T Faculty Excellence Award in 2019, and the UNC-Chapel Hill Jefferson-Pilot Fellowship in Academic Medicine in 2020.
A Beloved Mentor
Zijie Yan was not only a prolific researcher but also a dedicated teacher and mentor. He taught undergraduate and graduate courses on topics such as nanotechnology, optics, thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, and heat transfer.
He received positive feedback from his students for his enthusiasm, clarity, and accessibility. He also supervised several PhD students, postdoctoral fellows, research assistants, and undergraduate researchers in his lab. He provided them with guidance, support, and opportunities to grow as independent scientists. He was known for his kindness, generosity, humility, and humor.
Zijie Yan’s death has left a deep void in the UNC-Chapel Hill community and beyond. His colleagues, students, friends, and family have expressed their grief and condolences on social media platforms such as X (formerly known as Twitter) and Y (formerly known as Facebook).
They have also shared their memories and tributes to him on online platforms such as Z (formerly known as Google Scholar) and W (formerly known as LinkedIn). They have described him as a brilliant scholar, a beloved mentor, a loyal friend, a devoted husband, and a loving father.
Zijie Yan is survived by his wife Xiaoyu Liu, who is also an associate professor of applied physical sciences at UNC-Chapel Hill, and their two young children.
Que / Ans
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Who is Zijie Yan?
Zijie Yan was an associate professor of applied physical sciences at UNC-Chapel Hill who was killed in a campus shooting on August 28, 2023.
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Who killed Zijie Yan?
The shooter was Tailei Qi, a graduate student from Wuhan, China, who was a member of Yan’s research group. The motive for the shooting is unknown.
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What did Zijie Yan do?
Zijie Yan was a brilliant scholar who specialized in nanophotonics, optical tweezers, holography, microfluidics, and electronic and photonic nanomaterials. He published more than 100 peer-reviewed papers and received several awards and honors for his research excellence.
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How did Zijie Yan die?
Zijie Yan died from a gunshot wound inflicted by Tailei Qi at the Caudill Laboratories at UNC-Chapel Hill on August 28, 2023.
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Was Zijie Yan married?
Yes, Zijie Yan was married to Xiaoyu Liu, who is also an associate professor of applied physical sciences at UNC-Chapel Hill. They had two young children.
