Difficult News for Our Campus

Dear students and colleagues,

This is a deeply challenging moment for our campus. I am writing to share the tragic news of the violent passing of Pipo Nguyen-Duy, a beloved professor of studio art and photography at Oberlin for many years. He was one of two people discovered at the off-campus scene.  

Oberlin police are investigating the incident and asked the college to issue this morning’s shelter-in-place order, which was lifted once police confirmed that there was no danger to our campus or community. We will continue our collaboration with the police on this matter. 

Tragedies such as this one intrude upon our lives in jarring ways. I am simply overwhelmed with sadness, and I am deeply concerned about the impact of the devastating loss of Pipo to our community. Pipo was beloved. During his years at Oberlin, he touched all of us through his passion for photography. 

Our community will be hurting for a very long time, and when the shock of this news subsides, we will all need to process our grief. This processing will sometimes be together and sometimes alone, but we will need to take the time to do so.

A native of Vietnam, Pipo immigrated to the U.S. as a political refugee in 1975 and became an internationally exhibited artist, earning many prominent awards—including a Guggenheim Fellowship—and residencies. Here at Oberlin, where he taught since 1998, Pipo was a cherished colleague and a vibrant presence in the classroom and throughout campus. 

In the days ahead, we will honor Pipo’s life. Right now, my concern is for the well-being of our students, faculty, and staff. We have made arrangements for support for those who need it. Please know that our counseling professionals will be available to you for the foreseeable future. Many available support services, including immediate opportunities this afternoon, are linked to this message.

This is the time to reach out to one another, to check on yourself, and those close to you. Even in this most difficult of times, we will find a way through it together. Our community is what I always lean on because it is the thing that I have the most faith in.

In the coming days, we will have opportunities to gather together, to connect, and to celebrate our teacher, our colleague, and our friend.

Carmen