We here at three brothers and A Sister wanted to make sure our readers were given information about all the victims of the Virginia Tech rampage, particularly those of African origin.Waleed Shaalan was someone we missed.
A graduate student in civil engineering from Egypt, Waleed leaves behind a wife and 1-year-old son. According to the National Muslim Student Association, he began his doctoral research in Egypt but came to the United States in August 2006 when he was offered a position at Virginia Tech.
His father was also a civil engineering student, and friends say Shaalan always made time for those around him, despite juggling a hectic class schedule, research, and teaching assistant responsibilities. The Muslim Students Association has set up a memorial fund for his family.