Fullerton Grad Student Missing 1 Week

Police are investigating the disappearance of a Cal State Fullerton graduate student, who has been missing for a week.

Danming “Peter” Huang, whose 29th birthday was Wednesday, was last seen on the morning of Aug. 30. He left a note telling his housemate that he was going to Los Angeles to visit a relative, but he never arrived and apparently was not expected, friends said.

Huang also failed to show up last week for three laboratory classes he teaches at the university, said Mark Shapiro, chairman of the physics department at Cal State Fullerton.

“It’s very unlikely that he would take off and not let someone know,” Shapiro said.

Huang, who came to Fullerton from China a year ago, was beginning the final year of a two-year master’s degree program in physics. Shapiro said Huang was doing “moderately well” in the master’s program, although he was having some difficulty finding an advisor for his thesis.

His housemate, Vincent Smith, said Huang was not adjusting well to American culture and was disappointed in his physics studies. He doesn’t drive and walks with a limp because of a leg injury suffered several years ago. Huang usually uses a black cane.

“He was depressed and had gone to the campus health center for medication,” Shapiro said.

Fullerton police have no evidence of foul play.

“A lot of times, they show up and they just didn’t want to talk to anybody,” Lt. Geoff Spalding said.

But Smith said he is worried because he found Huang’s cane, as well as his contact lenses and eyeglasses.

Anyone with information on Huang’s disappearance is asked to notify the Fullerton Police Department. A Web site has been established with Huang’s photo and other information. It is https://chaos.fullerton.edu/ missing-person.html.