Condolence Notice — Dr. Bhagwan Dua

This notice is from the archives of The Notice Board. Information contained in this notice was accurate at the time of publication but may no longer be so.

The University of Lethbridge extends its heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of Dr. Bhagwan Dua, who recently passed away in Hawaii.

Dean and Professor Emeritus Dua joined the U of L as a professor of political science after finishing his doctoral degree at the University of Alberta. Dr. Peter McCormick, professor emeritus, was Chair of the department at the time.

“He was a very good teacher, a good administrator and a genuinely nice guy,” says McCormick. “He was my closest friend on campus and I thought of myself as one of his staunchest allies. I’m really going to miss him.”

“He was the right man at the right time for Arts & Science,” says Dr. Andy Hakin, provost and vice-president (academic). “He was a kind, gentle soul and a good leader. People came first and he genuinely loved the University.”

Dua started his career at the U of L as a professor of political science in 1977 and taught in the department until 1991 when he became Dean of Arts & Science. He retired in 2003 but continued to serve the University on a post-retirement contract until 2011.

Dua and McCormick were great collaborators. When Dua became Dean of the Faculty of Arts & Science, he would task McCormick with being the front man on some difficult issues. The approach succeeded in bringing about transformations in good time, such as changing the composition of the salary, tenure and promotion committee.

His priorities never wavered — students and the U of L. Dua’s main concern was for people and his approach was always to help make things better. He would remember details about people’s lives and follow up on them during their next conversation.

“It was his leadership that inspired a lot of us in administration to go on,” says Hakin. “He could get things done, he never lost sight of what was important and you wanted to do things for him.” 

Dua and his wife, Swarn, often entertained and people looked forward to receiving an invitation because of the delicious East Indian dishes that would be on the menu and the relaxed atmosphere they created as hosts. Together they helped grow the University to what it has become today.

A funeral service will be held on Saturday, Jan. 27 at Martin Brothers Funeral Chapel located at 610 4 St. S. The U of L will lower its flag from Friday morning until Monday morning in honour of Dua.

A full obituary can be found on the Martin Brothers website.


Contact:

caroline.zentner | caroline.zentner@uleth.ca

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