Two former Ohio State faculty among the missing in Nepal flash flooding

Audrey Coleman
Wed, 02 Sep 2026 04:20:52 +0000
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Residents survey the damage following flash floods on Aug. 27, 2026, in Trishuli, Nepal. A sudden flood swept through the Bhote Koshi River basin in northern Rasuwa on August 26, damaging settlements, roads and energy infrastructure as rescue teams searched for residents and foreign travelers reported out of contact. Hundreds were reported missing, as the death toll started to climb. Photo Courtsey of: Ezra Acayan/Getty Images/TNS.

Two former Ohio State faculty members are missing following deadly floods along the Nepal-China border on Aug. 26.?

Hanumantha Rao and Vasundhara Unnava, known as Rao and Vasu, are among the many people missing in the area. The flooding was sparked by a glacier collapsing near the northern border shared with China’s Tibet region, according to NBC News.?

The pair were both faculty in the Fisher College of Business. After working at the university, the two most recently worked at the University of California Davis.?

University spokesperson Ben Johnson said that Rao dedicated 32 years to the Fisher community, holding multiple positions at the school. Rao was the Senior Associate Dean, Associate Dean of Undergraduate Programs and Executive Education and the chair of Fisher’s PhD programs. He also was the W. Arthur Cullman Professor of Marketing.?

Vasu was also involved at Ohio State, earning her MBA and PhD degrees through Fisher and “was a well-respected marketing instructor,” Johnson said.?

Additionally, interim Dean of Fisher Aravind Chandrasekaran commented, touching on Rao’s impact as a colleague, friend and mentor.?

“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.”

Chandrasekaran also spoke about his personal experiences with Rao, referencing the great impact he had on his own journey, knowing the sentiment was similar with former students.?

“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.”

As of Tuesday afternoon, the United Nations is reporting more than 4,200 missing people and over 900 on the death toll. Access to remote areas remains limited, with ongoing efforts to provide aid, power and other resources through the UN.?

The Nepali Government has deployed over 20,000 people with search and rescue efforts, with UN agencies contributing 80 metric tonnes of food and over 9,000 people for assistance, as stated on the UN website. Informational hubs and centers are also in the process of being established across the region.