Colleague Remembers Slain Va. Tech Professor With UNC Ties

The door to Bishop's office remains locked and flowers sit in front it.

"This tragedy has hit our department harder than any other unit on campus," said Richard Shryock, its hairman.

Bishop taught German for the department of Foreign Languages and Literatures at Virginia Tech—a department that lost two professors and several students in Monday's shooting rampage.

"About half the students killed in Norris were language students, so roughly half of the total number of fatalities outside the gunman were people from our department," Shryock said.

Jamie Bishop was one of the first victims when gunman Cho Seung-Hui opened fire in Norris Hall Monday morning. Those who knew Bishop well describe him as a remarkable, young man. Bishop left his job at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill two years ago to teach at Blacksburg.

"We renewed his contract for next year and he was delighted that he would be able to continue on this job," Shryock said.

As department leaders try to grapple with the loss of both students and professors, they said they are not sure what to say when classes start back next week.

"In some ways, I think it's less about what to say to the students and more about listening, hearing what they have to say," Shryock said.

Bishop's wife also worked in the department of Foreign Languages and Literatures at Virginia Tech. Funeral arrangements for Bishop have not yet been announced.