Bich Duong

Bich was like a sister to me. I could talk to her about anything and she was always empathetic, thoughtful, and supportive. I can’t remember how we initially met as undergrads, but we quickly bonded and became roommates and best friends. I will always treasure the memories of “studying” together where we probably distracted each other as much as we studied. We shared a common background in being Vietnamese refugees. We understood what it was like to buck convention - being high-achieving women from a culture that values boys over girls, and taking unconventional career paths. Despite her incredible talent and work ethic, she was never one to boast about her achievements. She enjoyed teaching and mentoring young scientists. For example, she was an instructor at STEM camp for high school students, and she also helped design a curriculum as an adjunct at Northwestern University. Her focus was strongly on family, and especially being an auntie to her nieces and nephews. I remember many a late night call where she had to go because one of the kids woke up and wanted her. She had endless patience and energy for them. She never became embittered or discouraged by setbacks and remained kind and strong and optimistic till the end. In our last visit together, she said she had no regrets about how her life turned out – how many of us can say the same?