FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 13, 2026
Media Contact: Melissa Garriga | [email protected]
Vigil to Honor Late University of Michigan Researcher Set for April 17
ANN ARBOR – A vigil to honor the life of Danhao Wang, a University of Michigan research scientist who died on March 20, is scheduled for Friday, April 17, at 8 p.m. at the Northwest edge of the UM Diag. The event aims to commemorate Wang's contributions and address concerns regarding the treatment of international scholars in the United States.
- WHEN: April 17, 2026, at 8 pm
- WHERE: Northwest edge of the UM Diag at the corner of N. University and S. State Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48104
The vigil will feature speakers from the academic and local communities, reflecting on Wang's life and discussing broader issues faced by international researchers. Attendees are encouraged to bring candles and flowers as symbols of remembrance.
Background:
Wang, an assistant research scientist in the College of Engineering, died after falling from an upper floor of the G.G. Brown Building on North Campus. The University of Michigan Police Department is investigating the incident as a "possible act of self-harm." The Chinese Consulate in Chicago confirmed key details on March 30, identifying the incident as a suicide following an interview and interrogation by U.S. law enforcement. The Consulate further criticized the U.S. for “overstretching the concept of national security,” conducting “unwarranted interrogations and harassment of Chinese students and scholars,” and creating a “chilling effect” on Sino-U.S. academic exchanges. It demanded a thorough investigation and a responsible explanation to the victim’s family and to China.
This case is the latest in a series of political targeting of Chinese scholars at the University of Michigan. In a separate case reported on March 4, 2026, federal prosecutors abruptly dismissed all criminal charges against three Chinese postdoctoral researchers—Xu Bai, Fengfan Zhang, and Zhiyong Zhang—after they had spent more than three months in federal custody. The researchers had been accused of conspiracy to “smuggle” common biological materials, including C. elegans nematodes and plasmids, which are ubiquitous, harmless tools of basic biology. Prior to that, researchers Yunqing Jian and Chengxuan Han were detained for months on similarly questionable grounds. Taken together, these incidents point to a broader pattern of politically motivated prosecutions.
Critics have labeled the prosecution part of a “political witch-hunt” targeting Chinese academics. The university has faced questions over its administration’s response to such cases, including the termination of researchers, which stripped them of institutional protections and jeopardized their immigration status. CODEPINK delivered a petition to the UM board of regents on July 31, calling for the implementation of robust policies to protect international students from discriminatory investigations, as well as access to legal and mental health support.
For more information about the vigil, please contact CODEPINK’s Megan Russell at [email protected].
###
