CMF Remembers Dr. David Taras

Dr. David Taras, who passed away on June 9 surrounded by family, was Professor Emeritus in the Faculty of Communication and Culture (now the Department of Communication, Media and Film) at UCalgary. Dr. Taras was a leading communications scholar, who conducted extensive research on the intersections of media, politics, technology, and democracy. He shared his sharp insights and knowledge of these subjects with his students and the public at large. As an intellectual leader in Canadian mass media studies and Canadian politics, he was an impactful and inspirational figure to his students and peers.

After joining the University of Calgary in 1985, Dr. Taras served as the Ernest C. Manning Chair in Canadian Studies (now the Chair in Communication and Media Studies) and was later appointed University Professor. Dr. Taras received the Student Union Award for Teaching Excellence five times, and was inducted into the Teaching Excellence Awards Hall of Fame in 2011. “When he agreed to speak with my class [in 2015], I caught a glimpse of the reason David won the University of Calgary’s student award for teaching excellence five times. He was informed across a range of fields and utterly engaging” says Dr. Gregory Taylor, Associate Professor in CMF.

“Students valued his knowledge and his ability to communicate clearly with humour and empathy… His door was always open to students, and he always seemed to know their names” says Dr. Tamara Seiler, Professor Emerita of Canadian Studies at UCalgary, and a longtime colleague and friend to Dr. Taras. “David was dedicated to helping students to develop their critical thinking skills, and to equipping them to work effectively to create a better world.” In 2005 Dr. Taras launched Calgary’s Youth, Canada’s Future, a student conference that provided a forum for students to discuss the societal forces affecting them, and their hopes for the future. “David Taras had a powerful impact on my research before I ever met him,” adds Dr. Taylor. “As an MA student in 2003, David’s work with my future PhD supervisor Marc Raboy on the massive federal report Our Cultural Sovereignty was foundational in capturing my interest as a budding political economist in this field.”

“As a supervisor, he was very generous with his time” says Dr. Patrick McCurdy (University of Ottawa), a former Master’s student at UCalgary who was supervised by Dr. Taras. Regarding Dr. Taras’ presence in the classroom, Dr. McCurdy adds that “he was comfortable with whatever he was talking about… he could speak about his topics with ease and insight… it was clear that he knew his material quite well.” Dr. McCurdy also notes the many ways that Dr. Taras supported his students: “You don’t get a lot of mentors in life, but he was somebody I really looked up to and valued his perspective… he really was about enabling people and making things happen for students.”

Dr. Taras’ scholarship had a defining impact on the development of the Faculty of Communication and Culture (now CMF). “David explored the nature and complexities of political communication in a variety of scholarly publications, becoming widely known as an expert in this field,” says Dr. Seiler. "His publications such as The Newsmakers: The Media’s Influence on Canadian Politics (1990) and Power and Betrayal in the Canadian Media (2001), along with his co-edited series of volumes… How Canadians Communicate raised the faculty’s profile as a locus of expertise on the interrelated topics of Canada, politics, and communication.” Along with Dr. Beverly Rasporich, Professor Emerita at UCalgary, Dr. Taras edited A Passion for Identity, a Canadian Studies textbook which was published in four different editions. “This book stimulated the scholarship of colleagues, and also became the go-to text not only for our own introductory course in Canadian Studies, but also for similar courses elsewhere” adds Dr. Seiler.

“The originality, eloquence, and volume of his publications are impressive and made his faculty proud. So did his reputation as a political commentator in the media, where he achieved balance and grace in his astute reporting” says Dr. Rasporich. As a leading expert in Canadian media policy and its relationship to Canadian identity and democracy, Dr. Taras was a regular political commentator on the Global News Morning Show for over twenty years.

David’s views commanded attention on the part of both academic colleagues, policy-makers and the wide public… The Calgary academic community benefited from his vast network of connections and the enormous respect [with] which colleagues in Canada and across the world held his work… He could see in[to] the future and knew what questions and issues would dominate the social and political agenda of Canadian society, and empowered his students to tackle these issues effectively as researchers and media professionals… In every encounter, he would pass along his curiosity and passion. He would reinforce the value of understanding the Canadian communication landscape that makes our academic lives worthwhile.

    -Dr. Maria Bakardjieva, Professor and Chair of Communication and Media Studies

In addition to being an exceptional scholar in his field, Dr. Taras also worked weekly at the Calgary Food Bank. “David was simply a good citizen and a good person” says Dr. Seiler. “He believed that everyone deserved to be treated with kindness and respect” adds Dr. Rasporich. "If you needed support in difficult situations, he was immediately there at your side. David was also a friend to those in need whether he was working at the food bank or buying a stranger a cup of coffee… If he was close to you and knew your interests, you could receive a spontaneous gift from David. David Taras was himself a gift to his colleagues, to the students he taught, to the University of Calgary, to the political landscape of Alberta and Canada, and to all who knew him."

The David Taras Graduate Award has been established in honour of Dr. Taras’s distinguished career as a leading academic in Canadian communication, politics, and identity.