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MIT community mourns the loss of Sloan graduate student Heng ‘Nikita’ Guo

President Reif urges members of the community to support one another.
Heng 'Nikita' Guo
Caption:
Heng 'Nikita' Guo
Heng 'Nikita' Guo
Caption:
Heng 'Nikita' Guo

Heng “Nikita” Guo, 28, a graduate student at the MIT Sloan School of Management, was found deceased on Friday at her off-campus residence in Cambridge.

A native of Shenzhen, China, Guo had lived in New York before enrolling in Sloan’s MBA program in 2011. She was expected to graduate from Sloan next year.

The state Medical Examiner’s office has not yet given its determination of the cause of death.

“At this most difficult time, our hearts go out to Ms. Guo’s husband and her family,” MIT President L. Rafael Reif wrote in a letter to the MIT community. “Such a loss of a promising young person is intensely painful. I encourage you to reach out to those around you.”

The Institute’s full range of student support and mental health services is available to all members of the MIT community. Barbara Baker, the senior associate dean for students, says students can also turn to their housemasters and graduate resident tutors (GRTs) for support, as well as resident advisors in the Fraternities, Sororities, and Independent Living Groups (FSILGs).

All members of the MIT community who feel affected by this death are encouraged to contact Mental Health Services at 617-253-2916.

The family asks that its privacy be respected at this difficult time. Those who wish to send flowers to the private funeral service on Saturday, Nov. 3, should email jmwong@mit.edu.

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