Douglas Wright, the founding dean of ݮƵ Engineering and the third president and vice-chancellor of the University of ݮƵ, has died at the age of 92.
Wright, who played a major role in the development of both the Faculty and the University, passed away at home Thursday while surrounded by his family.
Douglas Wright was the founding dean of ݮƵ Engineering.
“He had a relentless curiosity compounded by a drive for relevance in university life and practice, along with a sense that in Canada we needed to change the university landscape,” said Ken McLaughlin, a ݮƵ historian and author. “He pushed, prodded and pulled us with him as he pursued academic excellence and social relevance.”
Wright left a teaching position at Queen’s University to join the upstart University of ݮƵ in 1958 as the first chair of civil engineering. He soon became dean, overseeing the Faculty’s growth into the largest undergraduate engineering school in Canada.
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