Support Student Scholarship in Honor of Prof. Oppenheim

On this Giving Tuesday, a group of alumni, faculty and friends seek to celebrate the retirement of Professor Lois Oppenheim with a campaign towards student scholarships in support of the French Endowed Scholarship Fund within the Department of World Languages and Cultures. You can support other language areas by selecting the "Margaret Holz fund" on the donation page, which benefits all language majors intending to study abroad.“Dr. O,” who served as department chair from 1999 to 2025, has inspired generations of students through her brilliant and innovative lectures, which encouraged students and colleagues to think critically and creatively, and through her work as mentor and advocate for mental health initiatives.

Renowned internationally for her fifteen books and dozens of articles and book chapters on topics as wide-ranging as phenomenology, the New Novel, Samuel Beckett, and neuropsychoanalysis, and neuroaesthetics, her scholarship has been recognized by nomination for or prizes such as the Gradiva Award for Best Book by the National Association for the Advancement of Psychoanalysis,  the Courage to Dream Prize by the American Psychoanalytic Association.

Dr. O’s fierce advocacy for students extended beyond academics; she encouraged us to pursue opportunities that would broaden our horizons, from study abroad programs to hands-on research projects. Dr. Oppenheim believed in our abilities even when we doubted ourselves.

To honor her extraordinary impact, we invite you to contribute to the fund in her honor, ensuring that future students can continue to benefit from the opportunities and inspiration she championed. 

Challenge:

We have exciting news to share! An anonymous donor will match every gift one-to-one up to $2,500! Let’s come together to honor Dr. Oppenheim and support student scholarship. 

Read more about Dr. Oppenheim's more than 35 years of impact for students in her French classes and as the Chair of the World Languages and Cultures department in an article published by the Montclairon, May 2025.