In Memory of Dr. Loni Manning

Dr. Loni Manning

June 22, 1954 - April 29, 2023

 With a heavy heart, I write to report that our colleague Dr. Loni Manning passed away on April 29th, 2023 after a valiant fight with her illness. With her passing, the department has lost a valuable member and our students, a caring and committed teacher. 

Loni started working for the department as early as in 2014 as a Graduate Writing Center Tutor while working toward her PhD in Education, which she successfully completed in 2021. Since then, she has taught for us and Utah Global, and her courses included 1009, 2009, and some Utah Global classes. 

Loni’s devotion to teaching and her commitment to her students at the U were part of her long history of teaching and engaging with and supporting communities beyond academia. Not only did she teach in the United States, but she also worked in China and Japan, where she taught English as a Second Language for many years. Supportive of Native cultures, she also helped establish a museum in Juneau, Alaska, and developed for Native students in New Mexico and South Dakota curricula based on their heritage and ways of knowing. 

While we mourn the loss of our colleague Loni, I think we can find solace in realizing both that Loni now is in a better place and that we will carry on her unfinished mission here with the same kind of dedication and care as she demonstrated without fail throughout her career. 

In peace and solidarity, 

LuMing Mao, Department Chair

obituary and Memorial Service Information for Dr. Loni Manning

The memorial service for Dr. Loni Manning is scheduled for May 13th, 2023 at 10am (MDT).