The executive director of counseling and psychological services at the University of Pennsylvania died by suicide Monday morning.
Gregory Eells, 52, had recently come to Penn to lead the department. According to his mother, Jeanette Eells-Rich, he told her that his new position was more difficult than he had anticipated. He was also upset that the job was keeping him from his wife and three children, who were still living in Ithaca, N.Y., reports the Philadelphia Inquirer.
Before coming to Penn in March, Eells worked for 16 years at Cornell University as director of counseling and psychological services. Before that he worked for five years as director of the University Counseling Center at the University of Southern Mississippi, reports NBC News. He has also held positions for a number of national organizations, including the Association for University and College Counseling Center Directors and the Mental Health Section of the American College Health Association.
Eells joined Penn in response to at least 14 student deaths by suicide since 2013. The parents of one of the victims who died by suicide in 2016 sued the school, claiming it failed to respond to the victim’s pleas for help.
This is National Suicide Prevention week, which is intended to raise awareness about the warning signs of suicide and the resources that are available.
If you or someone you know is thinking of suicide, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255, text TALK to 741741 or visit SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources for additional information.
