Ithaca College

It is with great sadness that we share news of the passing of Doug Elias.

Doug was a valued member of the School of Business Deans’ staff for over five years. He served as a critical part of the Finance Department through his oversight of the systems in the Trading Room. He also maintained the software used for Excel training and the Excel certification exam taken by all business students. Most recently, he became a faculty colleague in the Management Department as an instructor of Business Analytics.

Abraham Mulugetta, Dana Professor of Finance and International Business and founder of the Trading Room, remembers Doug’s tireless efforts to keep the Trading Room in top working order. He says, “Doug was a positive person. His greeting statement was ‘What can I do for you?’ He worked hard and…built a strong and positive relationship with DIIS that made it possible for tech problems of the Trading Room to be handled faster. He wrote the Trading Room guide…and collaboratively worked to improve the Portfolio Tracker that is used by our students.”

Bill Tastle, chair of the Management Department, says, “Doug was someone who took to a task with zeal. I had but to mention a problem and he was on it.” On his teaching role this semester, Bill reflects, “When in the classroom, Doug was clearly within his element. He relished working with students and took great pride in doing so. When offered an opportunity to teach the Big Data course, he spent the summer working out the details, putting final touches on his GSPS software to make it more user friendly for his undergraduates.”

While much of his effort was behind the scenes, Doug was a vital part of the School of Business team. His contributions to the school and his unfailingly cheerful demeanor will be missed.

In keeping with Doug’s wishes, there will not be a formal funeral service. Those who knew Doug are encouraged to raise a glass in a toast to remember him.