The death of UCLA student Sheri Sangji in 2009 following an explosion ignited while she was alone conducting an experiment is more than just a tragic story, according to prosecutors (photo by Mallhattan).
The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office wants to proceed with the trial of Sangji’s supervisor and chemistry professor, Patrick Harran, on four labor code violations. If convicted, he could get four years in prison.
The Star reports the case has raised questions about safety in the lab and shaken up the scientific community.
The trial of Harran has been delayed while he tries to get the case dismissed.
“What happened there is unacceptable, but what happened there could have happened to other professors too,” says Wayne Wood, associate director of university safety at McGill.
You can learn more about the life of the Pakistani American student and the safety issues raised by the case in The Star.