In the shrinking world of human associations, mainly due to the raging digitization, I often wonder how many people would ever know someone for 48 years. Take a moment to think about it. I know some of you are not yet 48 years old. In 1974, when I joined UNLV, Dr Verma was 44 years old and I was 34 years old. What a professional journey of life it has been!

About three years ago, I wrote a reflection on Dr Verma when he turned 90. Therein, I detailed his contributions to the Department that he chaired for 22 years – from 1968 to1990. Soon after joining UNLV in 1967, he pushed for the MS program, recognized Statistics by hiring a (full) professor, and offered programming courses that blossomed into a computer science program by the end of the 1970s. 

Verma has scored many firsts in his illustrious career at UNLV (was called Nevada Southern University until 1969). He joined the Mathematics Department as a (full) professor in 1967, and was the first Math PhD holder. At that time, there were hardly a dozen math faculty. Most of them had master’s and two had doctorates in math education. My guess is that unknowingly Verma may have set a US record for being the oldest and yet, active tenured full professor of mathematics. Apart from longevity related milestones, Verma’s contributions to UNLV are very significant.

Verma served continuously as the Department Chairman for 22 years (1968-1990) – a record at that time. Generally, the chair’s term was two years until 1997. Soon after Verma’s  joining UNLV, the master’s degree in mathematics was initiated and quickly approved in 1968. 

Verma was visionary as he saw computer science galloping on the academic horizon. He just started offering computer programming courses. As their demands increased, he got new faculty positions. During 1974-80, I was one of the seven PhD faculty who were hired. I did teach some computer science courses too! 

Under Verma’s leadership, students started getting bachelor’s and master’s in computer science as concentrations. With growth comes new administrative alignments. The Computer Science ‘group’ joined the Engineering group when the Division of Engineering was carved out of the then College of Science, Mathematics and Engineering, which was naturally renamed as the College of Science and Mathematics. Giving a touch of institutional history, in 1998, as a part of the campus reorganization, Mathematics was dropped from the College’s name. 

In 1985, Verma convinced the then Provost, John Unrue, and got the first four lecturer positions (non-PhDs) for the Department for teaching remedial and lower division courses. Gradually, the number of lecturers doubled up by 1990. 

I do remember Dr Verma placing the PhD idea before the faculty – in 1987.  I was not convinced of its timing and merits then. However, I do not recall the dynamics as to how his ideas on PhD did not take off. Nevertheless, the point is that Dr Verma was a visionary in mathematics programs. 

Both Dr Verma and I are from India, but we grew up in places, which are 800 miles apart. I am from Punjab, in the northwest of India and he is from Bihar, an eastern state. Thank you Dr Verma for the opportunity that you gave me to come to UNLV during the US economic crisis caused by the oil embargo caused by the Middle East in 1971-74.  

In August 1974, I drove a Ford LTD station wagon for over 2000 miles – from Bloomington (Indiana) to Las Vegas with two children and a pregnant wife. As a token of appreciation and long association with you, here is my latest book, Vectors in History, Volume II. Finally, I must say that you have lived your life true to the meaning of your name, Sadanand (means – forever in bliss). What a power of a name!

Satish C. Bhatnagar, Ph.D.
Professor, Department of Mathematical Sciences, 
University of Nevada, Las Vegas, NV 89154-4020.Tele: 702-895-0383 (O) and 702-895-4343 (FAX); Office – CDC- 1006Email: bhatnaga@unlv.nevada.edu
Adjunct Professor, Central University of Punjab, Bathinda (2019 –  ) UNLV Faculty Senate (2018 – 2021)

Professor Bhatnagar was asked by the current Mathematics Department Chair Zhijian Wu to say a few words on Professor Verma’s retirement party.  The above article and other information on Dr. Verma’s tenure has been edited for the brevity and relevance from the original submission. 

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