How to Write a Eulogy for Your Academic Advisor - Eulogy Examples & Tips

Saying a few words about an academic advisor can feel weirdly formal and deeply personal at the same time. Your advisor might have been the person who believed in your thesis when you did not, who read drafts at midnight, or who corrected your citation style with a firm but gentle eye. This guide helps students, colleagues, and department members craft a meaningful tribute that respects academic context and shows genuine humanity. We explain terms you might not know, give specific example eulogies you can adapt, and share delivery tips that actually work.

Who this guide is for

This article is for anyone asked to speak about an academic advisor at a memorial, department gathering, or funeral. You might be a current student, an alumnus or alumna, a fellow faculty member, a postdoc, or a staff member. Whether you had a close mentor relationship or a strictly professional one, this guide gives options for tone and length so you can speak comfortably and with respect.

What is a eulogy for an academic advisor

A eulogy is a short speech that honors someone who has died. In an academic setting a eulogy usually highlights both the person s professional life and the ways they mattered as a mentor. It is not the same thing as an obituary that lists dates and roles. A eulogy is personal. It is allowed to be imperfect. It is a story about the person and the impact they had on people around them.

Terms and acronyms you might see

• Advisor or academic advisor The faculty member who guides a student s research, coursework, and professional development. In graduate school this person is often called a thesis or dissertation advisor.
• Thesis A long research paper completed for a master s degree.
• Dissertation The large research project completed for a PhD degree.
• Defense The formal presentation and questioning of a thesis or dissertation. Some people also call this a viva or viva voce.
• Postdoc A temporary research position that comes after earning a PhD.
• Tenure A permanent faculty appointment in many universities that protects academic freedom and job security.
• Dept Chair Short for department chair. This is the faculty member who leads a department.
• FERPA In the US this is the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act. It protects student education records and can be a reason to avoid sharing certain private student details in public remarks.

How long should a eulogy for an advisor be

Short and focused usually works best. Aim for two to six minutes. That translates to roughly 300 to 800 spoken words. If the event is a department memorial with multiple speakers check with the organizer about time limits. A tightly written three minute tribute can be more memorable than a rambling ten minute speech.

Before you start writing

Some quick prep sets you up for a better speech and less stress.

• Ask about logistics Confirm the time you will have, where you will stand, and whether a microphone is available. Check if the department wants a formal tone or a more casual celebration of life.
• Talk to colleagues and students Gather a couple of short memories from others. This helps you avoid repeating the exact same story others will tell and gives you new small details to include.
• Decide the tone Do you want the speech to be very professional, gently humorous, or warmly personal? Match the tone to the venue and the known wishes of the family.
• Respect privacy Avoid sharing confidential information about students, unpublished research, patient details, or private family matters. If you are unsure about a story ask someone close to the family or the department administrator.
• Pick three focus points Choose three things you want people to remember about the advisor. Three points give structure and keep you concise.

Structure that works

Use a simple structure to make your speech easy to follow.

• Opening Say your name and your connection to the advisor. If you represent a group say that up front.
• Professional sketch Briefly note key roles and achievements. Name the university, major research interests, notable awards, and academic positions in simple terms.
• Anecdotes Tell one or two short stories that reveal character. Pick a personal moment and an academic moment to balance the portrait.
• Impact Say what they taught students beyond coursework. Mention mentorship, office hours, encouragement, or advocacy.
• Closing Offer a final memory, a short quote, or a call to action such as contributing to a memorial fund or continuing their mentorship legacy.

How to balance professional and personal details

Academic lives are public and private at the same time. People want to hear about the advisor s scholarship and also about the tiny rituals that made them human.

• Start with a brief professional overview. A sentence or two is enough.
• Tell one small personal story that shows who they were outside of publications.
• Include one example of mentorship like staying late to help revise a draft or encouraging a student to apply for a fellowship.
• Keep the story short and specific. Aim for sensory detail when possible. What did their office smell like, what coffee mug did they use, what phrase did they repeat when giving feedback.

Anecdotes that work for an academic advisor

Good anecdotes are concrete, short, and end with meaning. Here are examples you can adapt.

• Office hours anecdote. Example setup. They always had a bowl of mismatched tea bags and said that arguing about methodology was better over something warm. One night we stayed until the building closed and they helped me reframe a paragraph. That small shift turned the whole chapter around.
• Conference anecdote. Example setup. At a conference they introduced me to a senior researcher who later became a collaborator. They treated me like a peer then and that moment altered my career trajectory.
• Humor anecdote. Example setup. They could not resist making a joke about citations. When I thanked them at graduation they joked that I still owed them five properly formatted references. The joke landed and we both laughed.

What to avoid when honoring an advisor

• Do not disclose confidential student records or unpublished research details.
• Do not use the eulogy to settle old professional scores or air department politics.
• Avoid long lists of publications with no human context. Name one project that mattered and why.
• Do not promise outcomes that are not your place to promise like guaranteeing a scholarship or position. Offer practical ways to help instead.

How to handle complicated relationships

Many mentorships are messy. If your relationship with your advisor was mixed you can still speak honestly while staying respectful. Acknowledge complexity without bitterness. Focus on lessons learned and growth.

Examples for complicated relationships

• My time with Professor Lee was not always easy. They set high standards and pushed me in ways that felt harsh at the time. Looking back I can see how those pushes helped me learn to trust my own judgement. I am grateful for that push even when it stung.
• We disagreed about my research direction. In the end they supported my choice and they were in the audience when I defended. That gesture mattered and taught me about professional generosity.

Examples you can adapt

Below are complete examples with different lengths and tones. Replace bracketed text with your details and tweak language so it sounds like you.

Example 1: Short and professional, about two minutes

Hello. My name is Amira and I am a current PhD student in the chemistry department. Professor Chen was my thesis advisor for six years and a quiet force in our group.

Professor Chen joined our department in 1999 and built a research program focused on sustainable polymers. They published widely and trained more than a dozen students who now work across academia and industry. What I will remember most was their patience at the bench and their insistence that every result be explained in plain language.

One simple memory. After a long failed experiment they brewed an enormous pot of coffee and said we would try again in the morning. That night of shared coffee and talking about why our hypotheses mattered is something I will carry forward in my own lab.

Thank you for teaching me how to be rigorous and how to be kind in the lab. We will miss you in our department and in our lives.

Example 2: Warm student tribute with humor, about four minutes

Hi everyone. I am Jonah. I was an undergrad who somehow ended up in Dr. Patel s office hours every Tuesday. I was there for help and they were there with a collection of sticky notes and a dry sense of humor.

Dr. Patel cared about tiny details. They would circle a sentence and write please say what you mean. At first I thought this was annoying. Later I learned it was a kindness. Clarity matters. They taught me that a clearer sentence can make an idea travel further.

My favorite memory is their legendary whiteboard drawings. If you visited after a Tuesday seminar you might find a cartoon of grant deadlines as monsters. They used humor to make a point and it worked. They also pushed me to apply for a summer program that changed everything. Without that nudge I would not be where I am today.

We will miss their laugh and their exacting comments. I will try to be as precise in my writing as they made me be. Thank you.

Example 3: Faculty to faculty, formal with personal note, about five minutes

Good afternoon. I am Professor Alvarez and I chaired the committee that hired Dr. Morgan in 2007. From the start they were a generous collaborator and an unrelenting reviewer of our grant proposals.

Dr. Morgan s work on educational equity transformed how our department thought about outreach. They developed a summer research program for local high school students and personally mentored many who were first in their families to consider college.

On a personal note they were the colleague who would show up with a thermos and the exact paper you needed when deadlines were looming. They could be fiercely direct during faculty meetings and even then they had a way of making critique feel like care.

We will honor their legacy by continuing the programs they started and by mentoring the next generation the way they did. Please consider contributing a memory to the archive the department is creating so we can preserve their teaching and mentorship stories.

Fill in the blank templates

Use these templates to start writing. Keep sentences short and specific. Edit until it sounds like your voice.

Template A. Short student tribute

My name is [Your Name]. I am [student level and year]. [Advisor s name] was my advisor for [time]. They were known for [one professional fact]. One memory that shows who they were is [brief story]. They taught me [value or skill]. I will miss [what you will miss]. Thank you for being here.

Template B. Faculty colleague

Hello. I am [Your Name] from [department]. [Advisor s name] joined our department in [year] and worked on [research area]. They started [program or initiative] and mentored many students and faculty. One moment that captures them was [short anecdote]. We will honor their work by [practical action]. Thank you.

Template C. Complicated relationship, honest and respectful

My name is [Your Name]. My relationship with [Advisor s name] was challenging at times. They pushed me hard and sometimes their feedback felt sharp. Over time I realized their high standards came from a desire for me to be better. One thing I am thankful for is [specific lesson]. I want to say thank you for that lesson and for the time they invested in me.

Delivery tips for speaking at an academic memorial

• Check the program Ask the department organizer how many speakers there will be and how long the ceremony is meant to last.
• Practice aloud Read your speech out loud three times. Time it and trim anything that feels repetitive.
• Bring printed notes Use large font on paper or index cards. A printed copy is easier to handle than a phone during an emotional moment.
• Mark emotional beats Put a bracket where you want to breathe or pause for laughter. Pauses are powerful.
• Mind the microphone Keep it a few inches from your mouth and speak at a calm, even pace. If no mic is available project gently to the back row.
• Coordinate with family If family members are present check with them about any private topics to avoid.
• Consider readability If the department records or livestreams the event tell the organizer. Speak clearly for people watching remotely.

Handling emotions

If you get emotional that is okay. Pause and breathe. Look down at your notes and take a sip of water if needed. The audience will give you space. If you feel you cannot finish arrange for a colleague to step in ahead of time. A short introduction line like My colleague [Name] will finish my remarks if I need a moment is a helpful plan.

Practical and ethical considerations

When talking about an academic advisor there are practical and ethical things to keep in mind.

• Do not reveal unpublished data Avoid detailing unpublished studies or raw results. If you want to mention their scholarship stick to published work or to the general impact of their research.
• Respect student privacy Do not name students whose situations are confidential. If you are referencing mentorship include general outcomes rather than private details.
• Ask family about photos or specific personal stories The family might appreciate or prefer certain memories to be shared. Ask before you include very personal anecdotes.
• Coordinate with the department The department may have a memorial page, fund, or scholarship idea. Include any relevant calls to action in your closing line so people know how to help.

How to include readings or quotes

Short quotes from favorite authors or a line from a beloved paper work well. Keep readings to a few lines so they support rather than overwhelm. If you include an academic quote mention why it mattered to the advisor or to students.

Quote ideas that often fit an academic tone

• A line about curiosity from a favorite writer the advisor loved.
• A short excerpt from an academic they admired that still reads like everyday wisdom.
• A sentence from their own writing that captures their values. If you choose this option confirm it is okay with family to cite their words in the speech.

After the eulogy

People may want copies of the text or to record the talk. Check with family before sharing recordings online. The department might collect memories and publish them in an archive or memory book. Offer to email your remarks or to help compile memories if you have time.

Glossary of useful academic terms

• Advisor The faculty mentor assigned to guide a student s research and academic progress.
• Thesis The research project or paper submitted for a master s degree.
• Dissertation The major original research project required for a PhD.
• Defense The formal event where a student presents their research and answers questions from a committee.
• Postdoc Short for postdoctoral researcher. This is a position taken after completing a PhD to gain additional training.
• Tenure A status that provides long term job security and protects academic freedom in many universities.
• Dept Chair The faculty member who administratively leads a department.
• FERPA Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act. A US law that protects privacy of student education records.

Frequently asked questions

How do I start a eulogy if I am a nervous student

Start with your name and your relationship to the advisor. For example Hello I am Maya and I worked with Dr. Ruiz on my master's thesis. That opening gives context and buys you a breath. Practice it a few times so it feels familiar at the microphone.

What if the department asks for a formal statement instead of personal stories

In that case keep the speech focused on professional contributions, programs the advisor started, and the role they played in the department. You can include one brief personal line like I will remember their kind patience during my early exams to bring some warmth without moving into too personal territory.

Can I mention a difficult relationship in the eulogy

Yes you can if you do it respectfully. Acknowledge complexity and focus on what you learned. Avoid settling personal scores. For example you could say They pushed me hard and I resented it then. Now I understand they wanted me to learn resilience. That keeps the tone honest and balanced.

Should I read a list of publications or awards

No. A long list reads like a CV and loses the audience. Pick one or two representative achievements and explain why they mattered. Pair that with a human story so the scholarship connects to people.

Is it appropriate to include jokes

Light humor is fine when it is kind and earned. Avoid inside jokes that exclude people or might embarrass the advisor's family. If your joke relies on department politics skip it.

Who should I check with before giving the eulogy

Check with the family if they are present. Also coordinate with the department organizer. They can tell you about timing, the publication of remarks, and whether certain topics are sensitive.