The former head of Cornell University’s Counseling and Psychological Services Department is dead after committing suicide, according to multiple reports.

The Philadelphia Inquirer reports Dr. Gregory Eells died Monday morning after jumping from the 17th floor of a Philadelphia building where he was living. Eells, 52, had left Cornell just six months ago to become executive director of counseling and psychological services at the University of Pennsylvania.

Eells’ mother, Jeanette Eells-Rich, told the Philly newspaper that he had been feeling down about the difficulties of the new job and being away from his wife and three children, who still live in Ithaca, N.Y. Police said no note was left.

According to The Cornell Daily Sun, Eells had worked at Cornell for more than 15 years as director of CAPS (Counseling and Psychological Services) and an expert on resilience. During his time on campus, the number of students seeking mental health services increased steadily largely due to a reduced stigma of seeking help.

“If you need help, get help. That’s a big change that’s happened nationally. It’s a good thing that people, rather than suffering alone, they’re seeking help,” Eells told syracuse.com | The Post-Standard in 2013. “I think that’s why we’re seeing the increase. It’s a result of positive outreach efforts.”

Vice President of Student and Campus Life Ryan Lombardi told the Daily Sun that Eells was a “transformational leader on student mental health, both nationally and at Cornell."

He also served as the Chair of the Mental Health Section of the American College Health Association (ACHA), received a a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2012 from the Association for University and College Counseling Center Directors, and appeared on CNN, ABC News and NPR as an advocate for college mental health issues.

PennLive.com reports Eells also gave a TEDx talk in Cortland in 2015 about cultivating resilience and moving forward when people are facing challenges.

According to the Daily Sun, Eells was an Illinois native who received his Ph.D. in counseling psychology from the University of Oklahoma. He worked at the University of Southern Mississippi before joining Cornell, where he worked until leaving for UPenn, another Ivy League school, in April.

The University of Pennsylvania issued a statement to students Monday:

“Dear Penn students,

“With sadness, we write to share the news of the sudden death of Dr. Gregory Eells, Executive Director of Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS). Dr. Eells died this morning in Philadelphia.

“Dr. Eells was new to Penn, having started at CAPS in late March. He previously led the counseling center at Cornell for more than a decade.

“We extend our condolences to Dr. Eells’ family.

“We assure you, our beloved Penn student community, that you continue to have 24/7 access to CAPS clinicians (215-898-7021) and the Penn HELP Line (215-898-HELP).”

The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is 1-800-273-8255.