L.H.M. Lily Ling

L. H. M. ("Lily") Ling
Scholar and educator L. H. M. ("Lily") Ling has passed away. She had been recovering nicely from a brain aneurysm she experienced last February, but suffered a recurrence on September 30. She passed on October 1.
Lily was a productive and widely-read scholar in the field of international studies. She was a leader in the subfield of post-colonial international relations, which analyzed world politics from the perspective of the colonized. She authored or co-authored several books. These include:
• Post-Colonial International Relations: Conquest and Desire Between Asia and the West,
• Transforming World Politics: From Empire to Multiple Worlds (co-authored with A M. Agathangelou),
• The Dao of World Politics: Toward a Post-Westphalian, Worldist International Relations, and
• Sihar and Shenya: A Fable for Our Times.
Lily was finishing a new singly-authored volume at the time of her death. Lily edited or co-edited several anthologies of works in the post-colonial vein. These include:
• Theorizing International Politics from the Global South: Worlds of Difference (co-edited with Nizar Messari and Arlene B. Tickner)
• Asia in International Relations: Unlearning Imperial Power Relations (co-edited with Pinar Bilgin);
• India and China: Rethinking Borders and Security, and
• Four Seas to One Family: Overseas Chinese and the Chinese Dream (co-edited with Tan Chung).
She additionally published several scholarly articles in top journals of the international relations discipline.
At the time of her passing, Lily served on the faculty of the New School in New York City. Prior to this, she taught at the Institute of Social Studies in The Hauge, The Netherlands, Cornell University, Syracuse University, and at the University of Texas at Austin. In 2017, Lily was honored as an "eminent scholar" by the Feminist Theory and Gender Studies Section of the International Studies Association. She was a gifted teacher. She mentored a wide of younger scholars across the world.
Ling Huan-Ming (Lily's Chinese name) was born in Taipei, Taiwan on November 14, 1955, to James T. Ling and Julia (Lee) Ling. Her father was a diplomat for the Republic of China and was assigned to many consulates and embassies throughout the world. Lily's childhood was consequently spent in many cities internationally. Beside Taipei, these include New York, Saigon, Bangkok, Tokyo, Ottawa, and Vancouver.
Lily returned to the United States for her secondary schooling, having been awarded a full academic scholarship from the Shipley School in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania. She graduated with honors from Wellesley College, and was awarded her master's and doctoral degrees by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Lily is survived by Gavan Duffy, her husband of 34 years. Although predeceased by her father, Lily's mother survives her in Cleveland, Ohio. Her sisters Pearl (Man-Sun) Sy of Cleveland and Judy Ling (Steve Klitgord) of Acton, Massachusetts survive her, as do many nieces, nephews, grand nieces, and grand nephews.
A celebration of Lily's life with take place at 3:00 pm on Saturday, October 13, at the Burns-Garfield funeral home at 3175 East Genesee St. in Syracuse. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you consider a financial donation Finger Lakes Donor Recovery Network (www.donorrecover.org).