Yinghui Guo, senior lecturer in Asian Studies, passed away unexpectedly on Friday, Oct. 25, at the age of 48. A memorial event featuring her artwork was held on Nov. 5.
Guo joined Vanderbilt in 2008 as a lecturer in Chinese. She earned her doctorate degree from Zhejiang University in her hometown of Hangzhou, China. Her dissertation delved into the world of Ming dynasty religious operas, and this research became the foundation of her broader scholarly pursuit — analyzing literature and drama in late imperial China to reconstruct the lives of marginalized voices, including women.
Yucong Hao, Guo’s colleague, highlighted the unique impact of Guo’s scholarship.
“In her recovery of these muted voices — patient, sympathetic and yet filled with fiery passion — she brought to life a poignant flame of chivalry and resistance,” Hao said.
Students in Guo’s class provided insight into her as a teacher. Chelsea Cloyd, a first-year student in Guo’s intermediate Chinese class, spoke about Guo’s relationship with students and her teaching.
“It was a small class of about 15 students, and she always showed us pictures of her pet dog, Noodle. She’d always relate the lesson to her experiences in China and made it fun and interactive,” Cloyd said. “I have a friend who’s studying premed, and it’s overwhelming him. He didn’t know if he could keep doing Chinese, but after she passed, we all said we have to continue. She made us want to do more and try more.”
In addition to her academic work in Chinese philosophy and language, Cloyd said Guo has a passion for art. Her artwork included painting, sketching and mixed-media pieces.
“She rarely shared much of her personal life, but we were all able to see her artwork in a gallery at the memorial service. She was really good,” Cloyd said.
A MyVU article honoring Guo featured a reflection she wrote in 2022 on her career at Vanderbilt and the growth she experienced through teaching.
“There is not an end to learning,” Guo wrote. “While still being a teacher, I am also constantly learning — from my work, from my students and from other environments.”
Cloyd added that she thinks her Chinese class is more resilient because of her.
“We all want to do better now that she is not with us anymore,” Cloyd said.
