Virginia Tech has suffered the greatest tragedy in the history of U.S. higher education with the deaths of 32 people on April 16, 2007. In an attempt to help its community cope with this heartbreaking event, the university administration decided to close Norris Hall, the site of many of the shootings. Although much of the building is devoted to classrooms, it also houses a number of engineering research laboratories. As a result, about 60 faculty and graduate students have been displaced. Johns Hopkins (JHU) has been contacted by the administration of Virginia Tech's College of Engineering and asked to provide assistance. The Virginia Tech students are predominantly Engineering Science and Mechanics majors. JHU has accepted seven as visiting students and may add another five. To the extent possible, the students will be continuing their doctorial thesis research. Where this is not feasible (for example because needed equipment is not available), the students will be working on research related to their doctoral programs.
