Dr. Michael P. McAssey (2 October 1963 – 24 June 2026) joined AUC on 1 September 2013 as a lecturer on the Academic Core team and a dedicated tutor. Michael taught mathematics and statistics courses and served as an academic advisor. Beyond his teaching at AUC, Michael supervised Bachelor’s theses, worked on the admissions committee, and managed support for students with mathematical deficiencies. Additionally, Michael innovated AUC methods courses for better accessibility and learning outcomes. In 2015, Michael was recognised as AUC’s Teacher of the Year.

Before joining AUC, Michael earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in mathematics at San Francisco State University and his PhD in statistics at the University of California Davis. In between, Michael taught math and stats both at high school and university levels, worked at Pearson in mathematics testing, and was a postdoctoral researcher in the Statistics for Life Sciences group at the VU Amsterdam.

Michael’s impressive CV only begins to hint at his impact and our loss. The Dutch are fond of saying that ‘while God created the Earth, it was the people of the Netherlands who created their country.’ So maybe it’s no coincidence that a self-made man like Michael ended up here. Michael constructed and reconstructed himself several times over the course of his life. Here in Amsterdam, we only saw the last (and we like to think the best) iteration.

Michael was open, friendly, caring and fun. Michael’s healthy ego was nicely balanced with a self-deprecating sense of humour. Michael took interest in his colleagues, students and tutees: asking and remembering details from our personal lives, helping out at the drop of a hat, and knowing which jokes would resonate with which people. For the AUC community, Michael always showed up and paid attention.

But Michael was still more than all this. He was creative, curious and inspiring. He never stopped exploring, whether via his world travelling, his wilderness backpacking or his innovation of teaching methods. He was unafraid to swim against the current, for example, in arguing for more study time and teacher contact time for AUC students. He gave self-composed rap performances during AUC graduations. Even in his last year, he and his wife visited family in Thailand and explored Iceland, Sweden and Italy. And at AUC, despite his sickness, Michael continued the work he loved most: teaching, mentoring and developing new course materials.

In short, Michael was a force of nature. Whether we classify him as earth, wind, fire or water, we can agree that Michael was fiercely independent, fiercely hard-working, fiercely present, and a fierce ally to and believer in the AUC community.

We will miss Michael’s ability to infuse so much passion and character into his teaching and mentoring. We admire and remember Michael’s work ethic and commitment, which extended across his work, his softball team, his international family, and his physical and mental fitness. In this way, his teaching has extended beyond his beloved classrooms. His approach to life shows us how to be curious, to be critical, to stand up for our beliefs (regardless of their popularity) and to invest energy in our surrounding community. We hope, therefore, to join the ranks of his many students in carrying forward his legacy.

Michael leaves behind his beloved wife, brother and extended family in Thailand.

He will be greatly missed.

This message was written with care by Michael’s colleagues.

Digital book of remembrance

The digital book of remembrance will remain open until 15 October for anyone who would still like to add their contribution.