Two beloved, long-serving Oglethorpe University professors will retire by the end of the 2025-26 academic year, having dedicated a combined 57 years of teaching, mentorship and service to the university. Drs. Viviana Plotnik and John C. Nardo are two special faculty members.

After more than 31 years of service, Dr. Viviana Plotnik, professor of Spanish, retired last fall from Oglethorpe. Known for her curiosity and rigor, she urged students to look closely, think globally and challenge their assumptions—then return to campus ready to speak with greater precision and listen with more care.

“I already miss hanging out at the beautiful campus and interacting with colleagues and students,” says Dr. Plotnik.

A specific colleague who made a strong impact on Dr. Plotnik during her time at Oglethorpe was Dr. Jay Lutz, Professor Emeritus of French. “Dr. Lutz guided me, especially during the first years, and gave excellent career suggestions and advice.” 

Graduating Spanish student Heidi Ullman shared a heartfelt message to Dr. Plotnik on social media, saying, “Thank you for your continued dedication and knowledge, Dr. Plotnik. You have made a great impact on my life and that of many others. ¡Que disfrute mucho su jubilación! [Enjoy your retirement!]”

Named the Frances I. Eeraerts ’76 Professor of Foreign Language for 2023–2025, Dr. Plotnik showed students how language connects to lived experience. Her courses and scholarship explore 20th- and 21st-century Southern Cone and Central American narrative, and the intersections of literature, film, politics, human rights and gender in Latin America.

Her work took her and her students beyond campus. She presented at Sorbonne University in 2023 and earlier spoke in Quito, Ecuador, on memory and political activism in Argentine fiction. In 2016, she published two scholarly papers on childhood, memory and collective responsibility under Argentina’s military dictatorship.

After 26 years at Oglethorpe University, Professor of Mathematics John C. Nardo is retiring. He joined the faculty in Fall 2000 and quickly became a familiar presence on campus, known for clear instruction, an office filled with shark memorabilia, and a willingness to step into the spotlight when students invited him there.

“The people of Oglethorpe make this place special. I care deeply about the students and my fellow faculty and staff members,” said Dr. Nardo. “The students keep you young. Where else but a university can an employee age whilst interacting with the same young adult age? My fellow employees are more than that: they are friends. So, I will miss the people and will have to work hard to nurture those friendships so that they do not end when I retire.” 

For Dr. Nardo, teaching has always been central. He built pathways as well as proofs, including establishing Oglethorpe’s actuarial science program and helping students prepare to become licensed actuaries—work that paired careful problem-solving with real-world opportunity.

Colleagues and alumni often point to moments that capture his range. He performed alongside students in Cabaret and received two of the university’s highest faculty honors: the Vulcan Materials Company Award for Teaching Excellence and Leadership and the Lu Thomasson Garrett Award for meritorious teaching. Each semester, students also looked forward to his famously “kick-ass hashbrowns” at EggsAM.

Drs. Viviana Plotnik and John C. Nardo will both be fondly remembered by the students whose lives they helped transform.

Oglethorpe wishes them both the happiest of retirements!