The College of Arts & Letters is mourning the passing of Dr. Ehsan Ahmed, Emeritus Professor of Renaissance French, who was a faculty member of Michigan State University’s Department of Romance and Classical Studies for 23 years. Ahmed was an extraordinary scholar, teacher, and colleague who was known for his generosity, intellect, and steady presence.
The Department of Romance and Classical Studies is planning a celebration of life event on Friday, Dec. 5, 2025, from 5 to 7 p.m. in Wells Hall Room B 342.
“Ehsan was one of the kindest people that I have ever met, and I know that this is a common sentiment among the colleagues who had the honor and pleasure of working with him,” said Tony Grubbs, Chair of the Department of Romance and Classical Studies. “He mentored — either officially or unofficially — many of us in the department. Indeed, he was a role model not only due to his dedication to research, teaching, and service, but also because of his decency, judiciousness, and reassuring temperament.”
Ahmed earned his Ph.D. in Renaissance French Literature from Princeton University in 1987 and had a distinguished academic career. He held faculty positions at Tulane University, Stanford University, and Louisiana State University before joining MSU’s Department of Romance and Classical Studies in 1995.
At MSU, he taught all levels of French language, culture, and literature, and even supported the Classics program by teaching Latin.
“Ehsan was an engaging and thorough educator who was admired by his students,” Grubbs said. “His tireless service demonstrated a tremendous commitment to the well-being of his colleagues, department, and college.”
“He mentored — either officially or unofficially — many of us in the department. Indeed, he was a role model not only due to his dedication to research, teaching, and service, but also because of his decency, judiciousness, and reassuring temperament.”
Tony Grubbs, Chair of the Department of Romance and Classical Studies
Ahmed’s scholarship includes two monographs, more than a dozen journal articles and book chapters, and dozens of conference presentations on a variety of early modern topics. Before retiring from MSU in 2018, he focused on the French philosopher Michel de Montaigne.
The College of Arts & Letters wishes to extend its condolences to his friends and family. The impact he made on his students and colleagues is reflected in the many messages shared after his passing. These tributes, included below, are a testament to the influence of his character, mentorship, and scholarship.
Memorial Tributes:
Rocío Quispe Agnoli
“Ehsan Ahmed was a most welcoming colleague since I arrived at Michigan State University. A kind, reliable, and generous individual, Ehsan’s quiet strength, caring for people, and ability to listen made our work consistently more collaborative and supportive. He had a unique way of offering assistance without drawing attention to himself — always ready to help, always present with genuine interest, and always patient.”
Safoi Babana-Hampton
“Ehsan was a profoundly kind soul, intellectually generous scholar, and thoughtful teacher, mentor, and citizen who brought so much to our French program and RCS department community, college, and campus. He naturally embodied an inspiring vision of the roles we’re called upon to fill in our community to transform the environment we live and work within into a space of enduring passion for learning, energizing scholarly discovery, and of greater empathy, especially for the more vulnerable. I am grateful for all the countless ways that he enriched our community, inspired the love of language learning and literature to our students, and generously mentored generations of students and colleagues, leaving behind his living legacy.”
Valentina Denzel
“Ehsan Ahmed was a kind, thoughtful, and caring colleague and friend and a great thinker. He guided me with his wisdom during difficult times and helped me in my shaky beginnings at MSU. He was truly a lover and follower of Michel de Montaigne. I miss him dearly.”
Rachel Abani
“I still quote him to my students when he used to say, that you need to make language your hobby if you want to master it. Such a gem.”
Lucie Aussignargues
“Oh non ! Quelle tristesse ! Comme pour beaucoup, ce que je retiendrai de lui seront toujours sa bienveillance et sa gentillesse, dès le tout premier jour, lors de mon recrutement. Ehsan était vraiment un professeur d’une grande humanité. Indissociable de Montaigne qu’il affectionnait tant. Avant de partir à la retraite il m’a d’ailleurs offert un ouvrage de sa bibliothèque comme livre de chevet. La générosité même!”
Ashley Brandenburg
“I am so sorry to hear of the passing of Ehsan. He was my very first French professor at MSU before I was even an official student there. I had him when I was dual-enrolled as a high school student and kept in touch with him all the way through grad school at Cornell. I always appreciated his calm demeanor and soothing voice — talking to him would instantly make you feel better, no matter how tough of a subject you were dealing with. He was a wonderful human being and a superb scholar of French. I will miss him terribly.”
Sarah Canfield
“I vividly remember his class being extremely challenging, but I met with him on a weekly basis to go over course materials and he was so patient and kind, helping all of us in his class. I remember that his office was right across from the TA office suite and I could see him packing everything up in boxes when he was getting ready to retire. On one of his last days, he called me into his office and told me how he admired that I always carry a smile and am happy and to never lose that. Whenever people tell me that today, I always think back to Professor Ahmed. That same day he gifted me one of his old French dictionaries, which to this day is still one of my favorite gifts I’ve ever received and I have it on a bookshelf in our bedroom. I know he made a huge impact on all of his students.”
Adam Gammons
“This is such sad news. Professor Ahmed was truly one of the most gentle people I’ve ever met. He was soft, patient, kind, intentional, and genuine in every interaction. If you could get one of his heartiest laughs out of him, it would turn your whole day around. Every time I think of him, I can still feel the warmth of that laughter. He was an absolute delight to be around, and he instilled a fondness for Montaigne in me that I think I’ll carry with me for the rest of my days. The world will be a duller, dimmer place without him in it, but there are so many of us out here who will never forget him. My deepest condolences to all those who were closest to him.”
Stacey Mackowiak Ayotte
“I am saddened to hear this terrible news. He was one of those professors who had such a calm presence, and I learned so much about the 16th century from him. He also supported me while I was on the job search and supplied 30+ letters of recommendation for me!”
Sarah Mécheneau
“Professeur Ahmed était si doux, si généreux, si passionné, mais aussi parfois très drôle. J’ai rarement rencontré de professeur aussi bienveillant et tendre. Comme tu le dis si bien, il était une véritable “lumière” de connaissance, mais aussi de bienveillance. Il a été pour moi un exemple à suivre dans la manière d’accompagner mes étudiants. Je ne parle même pas de son amour si fort de la littérature, et plus particulièrement Michel de Montaigne, je l’enseigne encore dans mes cours grâce à lui.”
Chris Murphy
“Professor Ahmed was such a kind, caring soul to me in training me to actively interact with the French speaking world. What a kind, caring, lovely individual we lost. When I manage to speak French confidently, it’s due to his formidable mentorship. Repose en paix et pouvoir, Prof Ahmed!”
Stephanie Peterson
“Professor Ahmed was an amazing teacher. I’ll never forget studying Baudelaire’s “l’Albatros” in his literature class. There may have been some acting involved that I will always remember.”
Lindsay Sattler Gonzales
“This is such sad news. He was so kind to me both as an advisor and a professor. I always loved his classes, and his passion really came through in his teaching. I will never forget I was in his class the night before I had Elia. I no longer could fit into the desks, so he sat in my desk and gave me the table at the front of the room. I ended up having to leave class early because I didn’t know it but I was in early labor. He was so understanding. He had a profound effect on me as a professor. I have held on to, and read over and over again, many of the texts we studied in class. What an incredible loss.”
Angie Stojanoska
“This is a tremendous loss, may he rest in peace. He helped me get lost in French literature, in the best possible way. I learned so much from him. What a tender, gentle soul he had. Professor Ahmed was truly one of a kind. I will never forget him.”
Stephanie Tadman
“I am saddened to hear of the passing of Professeur Ahmed. He was always so kind and caring, and he had an incredible way of posing questions to really make you think. He gave thoughtful feedback and really made me appreciate French literature. I kept my copies of Montaigne and still refer back to them occasionally. He was a truly gentle soul who I will always remember fondly from my time at MSU.”
Jack Weyhrich
“I’m so saddened to hear about Professor Ahmed’s passing. As others have noted, he was as caring as he was brilliant. I had the honor of joining one of his literature classes, and I will never forget his unique and emphatic voice. I have such distinct and joyful memories of him reading literary passages and engaging in our discussions in the classroom because of his singular style. He was such a generous professor, too, and he took time to meet outside of class to discuss French literature and answer all my questions about his academic career. That day, he gave me a book of short stories by J.M.G. Le Clézio, which I still cherish. It was an honor to know and to work with such an incredibly bright and thoughtful person.”
Whitney Wildeboer
“What sad news! Professor Ahmed shines as a bright memory of my time in grad school. His kindness was so genuine and such a comfort during stressful moments. I didn’t keep many books from grad classes, but I did keep all of my Montaigne books. He made the material so interesting and this class remains a favorite when I reflect on my time at MSU.”
