Two former Ohio State University faculty members are among the more than 4,400 people reported missing after Aug. 26 flooding near the border of Nepal and China.
The married couple both previously taught at Ohio State's Fisher College of Business. H. Rao Unnava earned his doctorate from Fisher before joining the faculty, where he spent 32 years in various positions at the college. He served as a marketing professor, a senior associate dean, an associate dean of undergraduate programs, an associate dean of executive education and the chair of Fisher's doctorate programs, according to a release from the university.
Vasu Unnava, who is H. Rao Unnava's wife, also attended the university and earned both MBA and doctorate degrees from Fisher before
she became a marketing professor in the college. The university described her as "well-respected."
H. Rao and Vasu Unnava were on a retirement trip doing a pilgrimage into Tibet when the flooding occurred, The Associated Press reported. They most recently worked at the University of California Davis.
On Aug. 29, Ohio State interim Dean Aravind Chandrasekaran shared a statement with the Fisher community detailing the couples' impact on the university.
“Rao has been a mentor, colleague and friend to many of us," Chandrasekaran said. "He has had a profound impact on our community, including mentoring several of our faculty and students, and his influence extends to the many students and faculty he has mentored and developed throughout his career, including at UC Davis. … For me personally, Rao has been a wonderful mentor and an important influence in my own journey. I know that many of you have similarly benefited from his generosity, wisdom and commitment to developing others."
The flooding was caused by a glacial collapse in the Himalayas, and has left an estimated 90 American's unaccounted for, according to The Associated Press. Among them is another Ohio man, Venus Rajnikant Patel, who was in the same tour group as the Unnavas.
As of Sept. 1, three Americans have been rescued from the scene, and no Americans have been reported dead. As search and rescue efforts continue, Chandrasekaran asked the Ohio State community to keep the couple in their prayers and hope for a safe return.
"This is an incredibly difficult and uncertain time for their family, friends, colleagues and the many people whose lives Rao and Vasu have touched," Chandrasekaran said. "Please keep Rao, Vasu and their family in your thoughts and prayers during this very difficult time.”
Dispatch reporter Lilli Malone can be reached at lmalone@dispatch.com or on Instagram at @lillimwrites.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Former Ohio State faculty among those missing in Nepal flooding
