President Hsu Issues Statement on Passing of Campus Community Member

College of Charleston President Andrew T. Hsu shared the following message with the campus community on Friday, July 17, 2020:

Dear Campus Community:

Early this morning, I received the heartbreaking news that two members of our College of Charleston family were the victims of a violent crime in downtown Charleston.

Tom DiLorenzo

According to the Charleston Police Department, our new Provost and Executive Vice President of Academic Affairs Suzanne Austin and her husband, Tom DiLorenzo, were targeted in an attempted robbery near King and Clifford streets, several blocks south of the main campus. During the robbery attempt, Tom was shot and subsequently died. Suzanne was not physically injured. The suspect(s) fled the area, and Charleston Police are investigating.

This act of violence against one of our community members is deeply unsettling, and in this season of constant hardships, the pain and shock may seem unbearable. I encourage students, faculty and staff members who may feel unease or anxiety as a result of this incident to seek support through our student Counseling Center or the College’s Employee Assistance Program.

Our time with Tom was too short – much too short. He and Suzanne had only just moved to Charleston a few weeks ago. But I would like to share just a few details about Tom so that you may better know the person we lost.

Tom had recently retired from the University of North Dakota in June after serving there as provost and vice president of academic affairs for seven years. Tom was celebrated not only for his collaborative leadership style, but also his belief in experiential learning and how the city of Grand Forks served as an extension of the UND classroom. Given time, Tom would have seen parallels of that dynamic here in Charleston as well.

From what I understand, Tom – as you would expect of any lifelong academician – held education in the highest esteem, even calling it the “ultimate equalizer” because he knew that education was the only way a person could take full control of his/her/their life and ensure a future of success.

This is a moment of great sorrow for the entire College of Charleston community. In this difficult time, I want to express heartfelt condolences to Suzanne and the Austin and DiLorenzo families. It is imperative that we, as a campus community, come together now to support Suzanne and her family as they mourn the untimely loss of a husband and father.

Sincerely,

Andrew

Andrew T. Hsu, Ph.D.
President
College of Charleston