Richard Zipoli

Richard Pasquale Zipoli, Ph.D., has practiced in the syncretic Vietnamese Thien (Zen) Buddhist lineage for more than three decades. When he expressed an interest in learning more about Tibetan Buddhism, his root teacher—Ven. Thich Tri Hoang—encouraged him to pursue studies and practice in other traditions. Richard subsequently attended his first teaching with Lama Willa Blythe Baker in 2012. He now considers Lama Willa and Lama Liz to be his heart teachers, and he is an apprentice in NDF’s Advance Teacher Initiative.

Richard was ordained as a senior Buddhist Priest in the Thien/Zen lineage. He is also currently a student of MahaSati (emptiness-awareness) practices from the Southern Thai Forest Tradition of Theravada Buddhism under the guidance of Heather Sundberg.

Richard lives in Burlington, Connecticut, with his wife and dog. He is a professor in the Department of Speech, Language, Hearing Sciences in the College of Health and Human Services at Southern Connecticut State University, where his interests include developmental communication disorders, cognitive neuroscience, and practices that sustain professional resilience.