Yinghui Guo, senior lecturer in Asian studies, died unexpectedly on Friday, Oct. 25. Below is a moving tribute to and snapshot of the beloved professor’s life composed by Gerald Figal, chair of the Department of Asian Studies, on behalf of the faculty, staff and students of the department. A memorial event featuring some of Guo’s personal artwork will be held in the Buttrick Atrium on Tuesday, Nov. 5, from 12:15 to 1:15 p.m. The public is welcome to attend.
Yinghui Guo was hired at Vanderbilt in 2008 to teach Chinese language courses, but her expertise went well beyond being a brilliant and beloved language instructor. For her Ph.D. dissertation in Chinese language and literature at Zhejiang University in her hometown of Hangzhou, China, Dr. Guo researched religious operas in the Ming dynasty, just one aspect of her wide knowledge of the Chinese literary tradition. Her colleague in the Asian Studies Department, Yucong Hao, reminds us of the reach and character of her scholarship.
“Yinghui was a prolific scholar who wrote extensively on literature and drama in late imperial China. In her scholarly writings, she dedicated herself to reconstructing the lives of marginalized figures, such as women excluded from religious practices and intellectuals condemned to oblivion,” Hao said. “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.”
The passion felt in her scholarly writings was ever present in her classroom teaching. Her students routinely cited her enthusiasm and high energy alongside the patience, care and understanding she consistently showed them. Creating a comfortable space to learn a challenging language, “Guo laoshi”—teacher Guo, as her students knew her by—went to great lengths to accommodate learners of all capacities and learning styles, never hesitating to offer one-on-one guidance outside of class time to those who needed it.
Dr. Guo’s reflection on her career at Vanderbilt, done in 2022 during her reappointment as senior lecturer in Chinese, reveals the kind of personal attention she would freely give students who were inspired by her teaching and the reciprocity of learning she gained from them in return.
“Some students developed a strong interest in learning ancient Chinese history and culture after taking the Classical Chinese course. For example, in the spring semester of 2022, one of my students had been very interested in a poet who had lived more than a thousand years ago,” Guo said. “This student proposed to do a study on the poet. We did research work together and had a remarkable breakthrough in learning. In the end this student has gone on to a well-known graduate program within this concentration. This has made me realize that there is not an end to learning, and that while still being a teacher, I am also constantly learning. … I still feel that there is much more to learn: from my work, from my students and other environments. I do hope that I will have the time to further research on my chosen teaching topic of Chinese literature and language.”
Among those “other environments” of life and learning was a private artistic realm. Her husband describes Yinghui’s artwork—painting, sketching, mixed-media pieces—as her true passion alongside teaching. It enlivened her just as much as teaching, but few people knew about this side of her life. “She was a very private woman and would get very upset at even the mention of sharing something about her,” he noted. “Some of the things that truly made her beautiful and shine are the very things she didn’t want people to know about.”
Her students and colleagues may not have seen this private side of Yinghui, but they daily saw the shining beauty of her caring heart and gentle soul. We will miss but not forget her.
