Dr. Ian Dagg, chair of UW's physics department and a faculty
     member since 1959, died suddenly Friday evening. He had just
     completed a game of tennis at the Waterloo Tennis Club.  He
     was 64.
 
          Dagg was extremely popular and highly respected by his
     students and well-liked by faculty and staff, says the
     science faculty's executive assistant, Helena Hahn.
 
          He chaired the physics department since July 1988,
     except for a sabbatical at the University of British
     Columbia from January to June 1992.  His present three-year
     term was to end in 1994.
 
          His tenure as chair was characterized by "openness,
     fairness and a warm sense of humour, which both the faculty
     and staff members in the physics department appreciated",
     colleagues say.
 
          Early in his career Dagg concentrated his research on
     collision-induced absorption in gases at high pressure using
     microwaves and infrared radiation. He collaborated with Dr.
     Glyn Reesor. One of their former graduate students, Bill
     Smith, has continued as a research associate in Dagg's
     laboratory.
 
          More recently Dagg started a research project using
     electric field induced absorption in gases at normal
     pressure using Fourier Transform infrared spectroscopy, a
     continuation of work started on his recent sabbatical. At
     the time of his death Dagg was collaborating with physics
     professor Dr. Tony Anderson and chemistry professor Dr.
     Peter Bernath.  "We were working together on the high
     voltage gas cell until about 5 p.m. on Friday," Anderson
     says.
 
          Dagg held a three-year research grant from the Natural
     Sciences and Engineering Research Council. He was well
     regarded in his research area and had participated in many
     conferences and workshops over the years, Anderson adds.
 
          Dagg was teaching one course this term, Physics 122.
     Dr. Ken Woolner will take over these duties.  Dagg currently
     had no graduate students.
 
          Dagg was also active on many university committees,
     having been chair of the academic freedom and tenure
     committee and chair of many Faculty Association general
     meetings.
 
          Economics professor Dr. Bob Needham, a FAUW colleague
     of Dagg's for many years said of Dagg: "In all of his
     professional work Ian was deeply concerned with questions of
     justice and with fairness and equality in the treatment of
     people. He was concerned with openness and accountability in
     university governance.
 
          "Ian brought to his work a calming influence and great
     common sense.  His influence was particularly noticeable in
     crisis periods -- he would take the lead in pointing out
     directions to be taken and emphasis to be given. He had the
     gift of being able to foresee the constraints that would be
     met and of how to minimize their influence."
 
          Dagg is survived by his wife, Dr. Anne Innis Dagg, well
     known for her role in UW's independent studies program, and
     children Hugh, Ian and Mary. Cremation took place at
     Parkview Crematorium.
 
          A memorial service is tentatively set for Friday,
     February 12, with details yet to be announced.  Memorial
     donations can be made to Amnesty International.
 
          An acting chair for the physics department was to be
     named this week.