The Ford School is deeply saddened to announce the passing of Ambassador Melvyn ‘Mel’ Levitsky, esteemed professor of international policy and practice. He passed away on May 17, 2025, at the age of 87.
Ambassador Levitsky had a remarkable career in diplomacy and academia. After graduating (with honors) from the University of Michigan in 1960 and earning a Master's Degree in Russian Studies from the University of Iowa, he began his career in the Foreign Service working at the U.S. Department of State. He represented his country with distinction for 35 years, serving as a U.S. Ambassador to Bulgaria and later Brazil, as well as holding senior posts in Washington DC, Russia, and Germany. For his service, Ambassador Levitsky received numerous Department of State Meritorious and Superior Honor Awards, including the Secretary of State's Distinguished Service Award as well as a Lifetime Achievement Award.
In 2006, Ambassador Levitsky joined the Ford School faculty as a professor of international policy and practice. For nearly two decades, he taught graduate courses on foreign affairs and international relations, drug, crime and terrorism policy, and U.S. national security. He also served as a senior associate of the Ford School’s International Policy Center, senior advisor to the Weiser Diplomacy Center, and faculty associate of the university’s Center for Russian and East European Studies. He and his late wife, Joan, were devoted and generous supporters of the Ford School and regularly opened their home to students and early career faculty. In Joan’s memory, he established the Joan Levitsky Internship Fund, which provides continued support to graduate students traveling internationally.
Former students and colleagues remember him not only as a wise and knowledgeable instructor but also as a trusted mentor who offered guidance and support beyond the classroom. “Mel was one of those trajectory-changing teachers and mentors that make higher education, and the Ford School in particular, such an indispensable force for good in the world,” said former student Will Rich (MPP ‘09).
“Mel is exactly what a professor of practice ought to be,” said former colleague John Ciorciari. “His success as an American diplomat and as a professor at his alma mater is rooted in his care for people, for his country, and for broader ideals that should continue to shape U.S. foreign policy.”
“Mel led an extraordinary life and made an indelible impact throughout his career and within our community,” said Dean Celeste Watkins-Hayes. “He was beloved by many at the Ford School and will be greatly missed.”
The Ford School community extends its deepest condolences to Ambassador Levitsky's family, friends, and all whose lives he touched throughout his life.
The family will be celebrating Ambassador Levitsky’s life with his community in the coming months and has requested that donations be made to the Joan Levitsky Scholarship Fund at the Ford School in lieu of flowers.
Read Ambassador Melvyn Levitsky’s obituary.
