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May 19, 2023 Dear UD Community: I am very saddened to share with you that a member of the University of Delaware community has passed away on campus. Stephen DiGiovanni died unexpectedly Thursday from a medical incident while he was completing academic work in Morris Library. As we cope with the loss of someone who was part of our Blue Hen family, I ask that you please keep Stephen’s family and friends in your thoughts. As a student who was enrolled in the University’s Over-60 Program, Stephen had a passion for learning. He was a senior in the College of Arts and Sciences, majoring in History with a concentration in American History. In expressing our sympathies to all who knew Stephen as someone special in their lives, we also want to extend special thanks to the Library staff, students in our UD Emergency Care Unit (UDECU) and other first responders who arrived quickly to lend assistance yesterday. It is painful to comprehend the sudden passing of a friend, a colleague or simply a person who, like all of us, spent their time on campus learning new things and exploring the world. Such tragedies remind us with striking clarity that life is fragile and that the loss of anyone in our community affects us all. I encourage you to lean on each other and support one another during such a difficult time for many in our community. The end of the spring semester can also be an extraordinarily stressful time because of final exams and other pressing obligations, so it is natural to feel anxious or unsettled. As we mourn, we may even feel conflicted about celebrating Commencement and the exciting opportunities ahead for our graduating students. If you are struggling to sort through these emotions, or for any other concern, please reach out for help. The University provides several ways for students, faculty and staff to access counseling resources:
More information about Stephen will be shared in a forthcoming In Memoriam article. Sincerely,
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| University of Delaware • Newark, DE • udel.edu/president |
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