By all reports an ‘exceptional young woman’
A star student at Yale University was found dead early Wednesday morning, the victim of a chemistry lab accident. Michele Dufault had been working late in the lab when her hair appears to have been caught in a lathe, a metal and woodworking machine that spins very fast. The New Haven fire department came to the campus at approximately 2:30am, but reported that Dufault had no pulse. An email from the university to Yale faculty and students sent Wednesday morning stated that “By all reports, Michele was an exceptional young woman, an outstanding student and young scientist, a dear friend and a vibrant member of this community.”