In Memory of Christopher James Bishop

Jamie designed the first look of the SEACOOS website in late 2003 while working for the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Office of Arts and Sciences Information Services (OASIS).

After completing a B.A. in German at the University of Georgia in 1993, Jamie attended Christian-Albrechts University in Kiel as a Fulbright Scholar where he studied Early and Ancient History and Archaeology. In 1994 he returned to UGA where he completed an M.A. in German Linguistics in 1998 while teaching undergraduate-level German courses. He lived in Heidelberg, Germany from 1995 to 1996. At this time he taught beginning, intermediate, and advanced English at the Zentrales Sprachlabor of Ruprecht-Karls University, worked as a freelance translator, and collected survey data for his Masters Thesis on "German Youth Language."

Jamie was a talented illustrator, photographer, digital graphic artist, Flash designer, and Java programmer. He worked for UNC-CH OASIS from 2000 until 2005. While at the UNC-CH, in addition to instructing German language classes, he developed a software package for students to digitally record and submit spoken language assignments to professors, a significant improvement over the previously used magnetic tape method. Jamie was nominated for a UNC-CH Information Technology Award every year he was in Chapel Hill and received an OASIS Director's Choice Award in 2004.

Jamie left UNC-CH in 2005 for Blacksburg and Virginia Tech where he married Dr. Stephanie Hofer whom he first met in Kiel. Dr. Hofer earned a Ph.D. in Germanic Languages at UNC-CH. Jamie was teaching German as well as information technology for VT's Faculty Development Institute at the time of his death. He also evaluated which students had acquired sufficient proficiency in German to participate in study abroad.

Profile of Jamie Bishop at the Chronicle of Higher Education

Story on Jamie Bishop in the Daily Tar Heel

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to:

The Bishop-Hofer Support Fund
c/o Wachovia Bank
Blacksburg Financial Center
200 North Main Street VA7044
Blacksburg, VA 24060

Memorials may be made to:

Jamie Bishop Scholarship Fund
Virginia Tech Foundation
University Development
902 Prices Fork Road
Blacksburg, VA 24061