A college professor from South Carolina was identified as the sole American killed in a devastating cable car crash in Portugal that left the world searching for answers.
Dr. Heather Hall was confirmed as one of the 16 victims who lost their lives on Wednesday when a 19th-century streetcar derailed and crashed during rush hour traffic.
The College of Charleston announced that Hall, a professor in the school’s education department, was in Lisbon for a conference when the tragedy occurred.
Fran Welch, the dean of the School of Education, released a statement calling Hall a ‘dynamic instructor’ who specialized in special education and ‘shared her love of travel with her students’.
Hall graduated from the university in 1997, and after teaching students in Ghana as a Fulbright Scholar, she returned to Charleston to teach special education for nearly two decades.
She served on the governor-appointed Charleston Disability Board and earned her doctorate from the University of South Carolina, according to her professor profile.
She returned to her alma mater as a professor in 2019 and organized several study abroad trips, spreading her love of traveling to her students.
Outside of the classroom, Hall loved to perform and participated in Heart: An Inclusive Arts Community, which supported adult artists with disabilities.
