Follow-Up from President Ambar

Dear students and colleagues,

I am writing to you today to express my deep gratitude for the profound outpouring of love for our teacher and colleague, Professor Pipo Nguyen-Duy, and his wife, Trần Thị Nam Phong, both of whom were lost on Wednesday in a tragic act of domestic violence.  

I know that the heavy weight of our collective grief is compounded by the limited information available and the coverage that this tragedy is receiving both locally and nationally.  

At the same time, I am deeply thankful for the dedicated student and employee support resources that our campus partners have made available. You will see in today’s Campus Digest continued opportunities for support, and I encourage you to lean on each other and these vital lines of support. Processing these overwhelming emotions, in whatever ways feel right for each of us, is a necessary and meaningful step on our path toward healing.

In the coming days, we will gather as a community to celebrate the extraordinary teacher, mentor, colleague, and friend that Pipo was and the connection that he and Phong had with our students and the community. I will share details with you when they are confirmed.

In the meantime, I want to provide two immediate opportunities for us to pay tribute to Pipo’s legacy and memory:

• A memorial page dedicated to remembrances of Pipo on Oberlin.edu. You can view the growing collection of tributes at this link and share your own reflections here.  

• A small exhibition of Pipo’s artwork is currently on view in the Allen Memorial Art Museum’s East Gallery during regular museum hours. My understanding is that the faculty of studio art will be planning a more comprehensive look at his work for the spring semester.

My sincere appreciation goes out to everyone who worked so quickly and thoughtfully to make these spaces for remembrance possible. 

The love and care we have witnessed since Wednesday is a powerful testament to Pipo’s enduring impact and to the resilience, compassion, and strength of our community. Your empathy and dedication to one another during this difficult time represent the best of Oberlin. Together, we will continue to honor the life and memory of Pipo in the days and weeks ahead. And as a community, we will find a way to heal.

Carmen