UC Davis Dean Rao Unnava and Wife Missing After Nepal Floods

Key points

• Rao Unnava retired from UC Davis in June as dean of the Graduate School of Management, while Vasundhara serves as an adjunct assistant professor.
• The couple was on a retirement trip visiting Mount Kailash in Tibet before heading to India, according to their daughter Vaasavi Unnava.
• Vaasavi Unnava attempted to contact her parents via WhatsApp after learning of the floods, but the message was not delivered.
• Jean-Francois Coget, dean of the College of Business at Sacramento State University, described Rao Unnava as a mentor and friend, noting the hotel where they stayed was flattened by the flood.
• Rao Unnava co-founded Angi, formerly known as Angie's List, and served on the board of Pride Industries, a nonprofit supporting people with disabilities.
• The floods began on August 26, resulting in over 1,000 deaths and leaving thousands of people missing across Nepal and Tibet.

Background

This incident occurs amid a broader crisis following glacier-collapse floods along the Nepal-Tibet border, which have killed over 1,200 people in Nepal and 546 in Tibet. Previous reports indicate that thousands remain missing, including workers trapped in hydropower tunnels, and rescue efforts are hampered by damaged infrastructure and severed roads. Consular teams are assisting families of missing U.S. citizens, and police have requested DNA samples from relatives to identify victims.

Why it matters

The disappearance of Rao and Vasundhara Unnava highlights the human impact of the Nepal floods on international travelers and academic communities. Their status underscores the ongoing challenges in rescue and identification efforts, as well as the emotional toll on families and colleagues in the UC Davis and Sacramento State communities.

What to watch

UC Davis has not yet responded to inquiries regarding the Unnavas. Rescue operations continue in Nepal and Tibet, with authorities seeking DNA samples to identify victims. The family and colleagues are awaiting updates on the couple's status, while broader relief efforts focus on reaching isolated communities and accounting for the thousands still missing.