It’s always distressing to the academic community when we receive news of the senseless and tragic murder of an American overseas, and especially so when the victim is a distinguished educator. Such was the case yesterday when we learned of the death of Ronald Thomas Smith, II, an American chemistry teacher who has spent more than a year teaching at an international school in Libya. The thirty-three-year-old teacher was shot and killed by Islamic militants Thursday in Benghazi, Libya, as he was taking a morning jog.

Ronald was a member of the faculty of the International School Benghazi. Mr. Peter Hodge, the school’s principal, has described the slain educator as “very much loved” at the school.  On the school’s Facebook page, officials posted, “He was a much-loved teacher who supported students in their learning and always had time to help when asked. Ronnie was a professional who gave his time freely and without question.”

An un-named eighteen-year-old student at the school recalled, “He was the most amazing person, more like a best friend or a family member.” The student added that for teenagers who were trying to cope with the turmoil that has troubled the politically unstable country, the teacher was a motivator, telling them that they would be fine if they focused on their studies. “He wasn’t just a teacher to all the students, though—he was a brother,” recalled Abdulrahman Bader, a sixteen-year-old student, in an email to The Associated Press. “He was the heart of the school.”

Originally from Warren, Michigan, Ronald graduated in 1997 from Woods Tower High  School. He attended Wayne State University in Detroit before  heading to Texas. He graduated in 2006 from the University of Texas, Austin, with a master’s degree in chemistry. During his years in Texas, he was active in the Austin Stone Community Church. Approximately a year and a half ago, Ronald began teaching at the International School, a Libyan-owned institution that offers a British curriculum.

He leaves behind a wife and a young son, who had come home to the United States ahead of him to celebrate the holidays. We’ll all miss this chalkboard champion.