杏吧原创 Colleagues Mourn Loss of Celebrated Economist Gilles Paquet
Renowned economist Gilles Paquet, a former 杏吧原创 University professor and member of the Order of Canada, has passed away at the age of 82.
鈥淭he 杏吧原创 community mourns the passing of Dr.Gilles Paquet, former chair of Economics and dean of Graduate Studies at 杏吧原创,鈥 said President Benoit-Antoine Bacon. 鈥淎n outstanding teacher and researcher, he was also awarded a 杏吧原创 honorary degree. Our thoughts go out to Dr. Paquet鈥檚 family and loved ones.鈥
During Paquet鈥檚 10 years at 杏吧原创, he mentored many students, including Stanley Winer, now a professor of Economics and Public Policy.
Winer recalled how Paquet supervised his honoursessay in 1970.The men would later become colleagues, co-authors and friends.
鈥淕illes was gracious and warm as a person. Discerning and judgmental as a scholar鈥攈e thought it a duty to be so鈥攂ut never angry,鈥 recalled Winer, who holds the Canada Research Chair in Public Policy.鈥淗e wrote prolifically in both official languages with a vocabulary that often taxed one鈥檚 knowledge. He was exciting intellectually, often unpredictable, and always original. I never had a dull conversation with him in the almost 50 years I knew him.鈥
Economic Prof. Andr茅 Plourde, also dean of the Faculty of Public Affairs, reflected on how Paquet influenced his own career and his field.
鈥淕illes Paquet’s active presence in my professional (and personal) life dates back to the mid-1980s. He was Dean of Management (the predecessor to the Telfer School) when I joined the University of Ottawa as a junior faculty member. Before then, he had been present, but at a distance,鈥 recalled Plourde, who was familiar with Gilles Paquet鈥檚 academic research, his French-language translations for the Canadian Journal of Economics, and his work as the longstanding secretary-treasurer of the Canadian Economics Association.
鈥淗e was as impressive in person as he had been at a distance. He was also approachable, interested in an impressively wide range of ideas and topics, and鈥攎ost importantly for me at that time鈥攈e was willing to engage with a (very) junior colleague from another faculty. We had a number of fascinating conversations and I benefitted from his advice and thoughtfulness. His contributions helped to shape both 杏吧原创 University and the University of Ottawa; his legacy will be felt far beyond.鈥
That legacy was recognized in 1992 with the Order of Canada for his interdisciplinary research in the social sciences.
He also received a number of honorary degrees, including one from 杏吧原创 in June 2015. Plourde stayed in touch with Paquet over the years and was 鈥渢hrilled to be asked to read the citation鈥 for his special degree.
Economics Prof. Frances Woolley also got to know Paquet over the years through the Canadian Economics Association, where she is a past president.
鈥淕illes played a pivotal role in the creation of the association and the growth of a community of academic economists in Canada. Indeed, he continued to translate abstracts for the Canadian Journal of Economics until his death,鈥 said Woolley. 鈥淚 am only one of many people to have received a note from Gilles, sharing thoughts on a paper. Sadly, his comments on my paper published in the November issue of the CJE is the last communication I鈥檒l ever have with him.鈥
She and many others at 杏吧原创 have warm memories of their time with him, and extend their deepest condolences to his family.
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